The old and new apples of my eye

Made-for-the-season apple recipes, including a brand new one from Paola Velez's just released "Bodega Bakes"

Bonjour! Bonjour!

Well, the sunny days might return, but today, as I write to you on the first day of fall (I started this early — a rarity for me), the skies are gray and the streets slicked with rain. It’s a good day to bake. A good day to start thinking less about berries and more about plums and pears and apples. Apples! They were at the farmstand before I flew here, but I resisted their pretty colors and firm roundness. It was too soon then. But today, with people headed to the market in sweaters, it’s not too soon at all.

And so, in the spirit of cozy, I’ve got a few old favorite apple recipes and one shiny new one, a big, sturdy, made-for-the-season apple cake from Paola Velez’s wonderful new book, Bodega Bakes.

But First, A Little Paris

A Couple of Old Favorites

I’ve been writing xoxo Dorie for over three years now — there are over 200 posts in the archives! — and when I went back to peek at the past, I found some nice apple recipes. In the spirit of the Girl Scouts, who, as the song goes, “make new friends, but keep the old,” here a few old friends you might want to revisit:

Asked and answered: A French apple tart from quick puff pastry

Apple-Butter Bundt Cake for a sweet new year

Remembering Mom and her one recipe

Add heat and some sweet and bingo! Bitter leaves become irresistible

And Now for Something New

If you’ve ever seen Paola Velez on Instagram, the chances are good that you’ve seen her dance — it’s what she does when she’s happy. Well, I was lucky enough to get a pre-publication look at Paola’s book and as soon as I finished scrolling through it, I had the urge to do a happy dance myself. It’s a joyful book! It’s a book written from the heart and through the experience of being, as Paola describes herself, “a Bronx-born Afro-Latina pastry chef and community organizer, who did not plan on becoming either.”

For someone who didn’t plan to be a chef or a community leader, she does a great job of each. I met Paola a few years ago at a Cherry Bombe Jubilee and after hearing her speak (she’s an inspiring speaker), I wanted to know everything about her and what she does. How did she start Bakers Against Racism? What was it like to bake for a White House event? And how did she find the time to write such a good book? We learn a lot about Paola in this book and we learn so much about baking — not only is she a talented chef, she’s an excellent teacher, a combination all of us cookbookers appreciate.

We also get a generous serving, as the book’s subtitle reads, of “Recipes for Sweets and Treats From My Corner Store.”  And yes, I wish I had such a store on my corner.

Photo: Hector Velez

Bodega Bakes is out TODAY! Get it at Bookshop.org or Amazon.

Apples x 2

There are ingredients that are new to me in Paola’s book and some that I know well but have never used the way she does, and apple cider vinegar is one of them. This tall, beautiful cake looks familiar, but it includes both olive and avocado oils, evaporated milk rather than whole milk or cream, and apple cider vinegar, not just a splash or a spoonful, but a quarter cup. Paola says, “you get all the best notes of apple cider vinegar, minus the powerful punch.” The cake is simple and could take to lots of toppings, but Paola’s is particularly nice: honeyed whipped cream is the first topping and the second is diced, tart apples roasted with brown sugar and ginger, cinnamon and cloves, such good fall spices.

Scroll down for the recipe and pictures from Mary Dodd, who was Paola’s recipe tester for the book.

Roasted Apple and Apple Cider Vinegar Cake from Bodega Bakes. Photographs © 2024 Lauren V. Allen

As always, I love seeing what you’ve made, so if you make this cake and post it to Instagram, please tag me, Mary and Paola, of course.

And for everyone who celebrates, wishes for a sweet Rosh Hashanah

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📚 You can find more recipes in my latest book Baking with Dorie.

ROASTED APPLE AND APPLE CIDER VINEGAR CAKE

• Adapted with permission from Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store by Paola Velez © 2024. Published by Union Square & Co.

• Click here for printable recipe

Photo: Mary Dodd

GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START

Baking the apples: Paola very efficiently suggests that you bake the apples while you’re mixing the cake. If it’s more convenient for you, you could roast the apples a day ahead, keep them covered in the refrigerator and then warm them so that they get juicy again. Alternatively, you could roast the apples while the cake is coming to room temperature. The only thing you can’t do is omit them – they’re such a lovely part of this cake.

The salt: Like many cookbook authors, recipe developers and cooks, when it comes to kosher salt, Paola’s preference is for Diamond Crystal Salt. Here’s what she says: “You can use any kosher salt you like, but if your favorite is Morton’s, you should halve the amount called for in these recipes. I do all my baking with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is less dense and therefore seems less salty than Morton’s.”

The topping: Don’t even think about skipping the honey whipped cream. After making the cake, Mary Dodd wrote to me and called it a “magic trick.”

Storing: Without the luscious cream and apples, the cake can be covered and kept at room temperature for at least 3 days, or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 1 month.

Makes one 10-inch cake

INGREDIENTS

• Vegetable oil cooking spray

For the apples

• 3 cups (540 g) diced peeled Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples (about 3 medium)

• 1/2 cup lightly packed (100 g) light brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/55 g) unsalted butter, cubed

For the cake

• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup (240 ml) olive oil

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) avocado oil

• 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 cup (240 ml) evaporated milk

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar

For the topping

• 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons honey

• Pinch of kosher salt

Photos: Mary Dodd

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Line a 10-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray.

Prepare the apples: In a large bowl, combine the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, lemon juice, and corn syrup and toss to combine. Transfer the apples to the prepared baking sheet and scatter the butter cubes over the top. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the apples are golden and the edges have caramelized. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Photo: Mary Dodd

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Make the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using an electric mixer), beat the granulated sugar and eggs on medium speed until fluffy and pale, about 8 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the olive oil and avocado oil in a thin stream. Mix until glossy and combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add half the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl with the wet ingredients and pulse the mixer on and off, almost like you’re trying to jump-start a car, so the flour gets gradually incorporated without flying all over your kitchen. When the dry ingredients are mostly combined, mix on low to incorporate them fully, about 3 minutes.

Gradually pour in the evaporated milk and mix until combined. Add the vinegar and mix until combined, pausing to scrape down the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake is springy to the touch and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then flip the cake onto a parchment-lined work surface and let cool completely.

Photo: Mary Dodd

Meanwhile, make the topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stick blender, whip the cream, honey, and salt until firm peaks form.

Spoon the whipped cream over the cake, then use the back of your spoon to make a well in the center of the whipped cream. Spoon the apples into the well, then serve.

Photo: Mary Dodd