Sourdough Apple Cake

round cake studded with apples, raisins and pecans on a cooling rack.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Love this recipe?Mention @UglyDucklingBakery or tag #UglyDucklingBakery!

The sourdough apple cake is fragrant, moist, and densely packed with apples and other goodies. And very very ugly.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 45

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: Unspecified

Servings:

Calories: 323kcal

Author: Joanne Stekler

Equipment

Stand mixer or hand mixer

Ingredients

1 cup (125 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
12 tablespoons (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened plus additional for greasing the pan
¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
¾ cup (144 grams) dark brown sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup (60 milliliters) buttermilk
8 ounces (227 grams) 100% hydration unfed sourdough discard
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (50 grams) pecans, broken or chopped into small pieces
½ cup (75 grams) raisins
3 medium to large apples, cored, peeled, and chopped into about one half inch cubes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Butter a 9 inch round cake pan, line it with parchment, and then butter the parchment.
In a small bowl, sift or whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and ginger.
1 cup (125 grams) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a medium to large bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on a medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl down as necessary.
12 tablespoons (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened, ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (144 grams) dark brown sugar
Add the eggs one at a time, then the buttermilk, and then the sourdough discard and vanilla, mixing at medium speed for about one minute after each addition.
2 eggs, ¼ cup (60 milliliters) buttermilk, 8 ounces (227 grams) 100% hydration unfed sourdough discard, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed or by hand until combined.
Add the pecans, raisins, and apples, and mix.
½ cup (50 grams) pecans, broken or chopped into small pieces, ½ cup (75 grams) raisins, 3 medium to large apples, cored, peeled, and chopped into about one half inch cubes
Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and even it out using a spoon or spatula. It will come up close to the top of a 9 inch round pan.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean of batter. You may need to check a few areas to be certain given how much apple and other goodies are inside.
Cool completely, and then remove from the pan. Serve plain, with a dusting of confectioner's sugar, or with a light buttercream frosting.

Notes

A 100% hydration starter is equal amounts of water and flour. If you don’t have a starter, just add an additional 4 ounces (113 grams) of flour to the dry ingredients and an additional 4 ounces (one half cup) of buttermilk or other liquid.

Nutrition