Brunch Cake Recipe

Slight deviation from our normal topics of family law and collaborative practice, but I needed to share yet another reason that working from home is the best!

Debbie and I both love to cook and bake all sorts of things, and it’s more likely than not you’ll find treats and snacks when you visit our office. Today I was on my own, planning world domination and drinking copious amounts of black coffee, when I realized I'd failed to eat breakfast… or lunch! Not an uncommon realization for me, as my former legal assistant would attest.

I started my usual practice of scrolling recipe sites for something to make with ingredients I had on hand, but with only one stick of butter, I was having trouble finding anything that piqued my interest. Growing impatient, I strongly considered eating just the stick of butter.

My better judgement prevailed; however, and instead I began throwing various ingredients into a bowl. All my measurements are approximate, since I didn’t stop to measure, but I think you could get away with eye-balling it for this cake, especially if you are an experienced baker. The best part is that you can make the whole thing in one bowl for easy clean-up.

Here’s my recipe:

Whisk together in a medium sized mixing bowl until light and frothy:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs

Whisk in:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• ¾ of a cup (from a total 1 1/2 cups) flour

Continue whisking in:

• Dash salt
• Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Remaining ¾ cup (of the total 1 ½ cups) flour

The batter will be creamy and thick, like any good cake batter.

Stir in:

• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into very small cubes
• ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 peeled and cubed apples (I used Gala, but you could use any kind)

Spray 2 8”x4” loaf baking pans with cooking spray, then pour half of the batter into each tin. This recipe makes two cakes that are about 2.5" tall. You could likely fit all the batter in one baking pan to make a taller loaf, in which case I'd increase the baking time by at least 20 mins.

Bake in 350 degree F preheated oven for 25 – 30 mins, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I have to say: the finished product is delicious – exactly what I needed. Crispy and browned on the outside; light and fluffy, with bursts of chocolate and buttery goodness on the inside (I assume the butter taste was more pronounced because I was too lazy to melt or soften the butter in advance. Accidental win!). It’s kind of like the cake version of a buttery chocolate chip cookie. The apples add a tartness that complements the sweetness of the chocolate, but you could leave them out and it would still be good. I only wish I'd restrained myself from eating an entire cake.