Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Cake

 

Christmas brunch is the same every.single.year.  Egg and sausage breakfast casserole and monkey bread.  This year, we decided to switch out the monkey bread for something new.  This cake, which we decided was perfectly acceptable for brunch, was delicious.  The recipe comes from Cooking Light but you would never know that its light. 

 

I am calling it a breakfast cake (nothing wrong with cake for breakfast!) but it would be great as a dessert, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  We all decided this recipe is a keeper! 

Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Cake
Yields:  12 servings
Source:  Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened (about 3/4 cup)
2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups chopped peeled Rome apple (about 2 large)

Cooking spray

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

 

Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, margarine, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

 

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.

 

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. (**If the top of your cake starts to brown too much, place a piece of foil over the top until the inside is done.)  Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife.

 

Note: You can also make this cake in a 9-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan; just reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes.

Click to see savings

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups chopped peeled Gala apples (about 2 large)

Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, vanilla and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. (**If top of cake starts to look too brown, lay a piece of foil over the top for the remaining baking time.)  Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife. 

Note: You can also make this cake in a 9-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan; just reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes.