Nothing is more indicative of fall than apples and the baked goods they are showcased in. This dessert is my twist on an apple brandy cake using Santa Fe Spirits Atapiño Liqueur. Santa Fe Spirits roasts piñon nuts and soaks them in a barrel of Silver Coyote single-malt white whiskey for six months to extract the essence of the piñon.
This cake is equally good with Santa Fe Spirits Apple Brandy and chopped pecans, and although you could cook it in a springform pan, I highly recommend using a Bundt pan. This pan style features an inner core that helps conduct heat into the center of the cake and executes a beautiful display of the finished cake.
Atapiño and Apple Cake
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup Atapiño Liqueur or Apple Brandy
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups apples, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup piñon nuts, divided
Brown butter glaze
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons Atapiño Liqueur or Apple Brandy
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan.
- Combine flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add oil, liqueur, vanilla, and eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Fold in apples and 3/4 cup nuts. Pour and spread batter in greased and floured pan.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate—cool for 1 hour or until completely cooled.
Glaze
- In a small saucepan, cook butter and the Atapiño Liqueur over medium heat until light golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar; blend well.
- Spoon glaze over the cooled cake, allowing some to run down the sides and garnish with remaining nuts.
