Today is the first day of fall and the official start to baking season, my favorite time of the year. Along with the cooler weather comes apples, pumpkin and all the warm spices that fitthem so well. This apple honey cake is made with honey, vanilla, cinnamon and is topped with a Rooibos tea glaze. All of these flavors were inspired by Vanilla Moon Cider, one of the new fall drinks at Dunn Brothers Coffee here in Mpls.
I have a long history with this coffee shop. So, when Dunn Brothers invited me to collaborate on apost, it was a natural fit. When I lived in Linden Hills it was the first coffee shop in the village and became a daily stop with my little boys. Dunn Brothers brilliantly set up a play area, so we tired moms could sip a cup of Sumatra, while our little ones entertained themselves within view. I even met some of my best friends in that play area. Later, when the boys were older and in school, I wrote my first book sitting at Dunn Brothers and drinking lots (and lots) more coffee. One of the baristasbecame a babysitter and another a trusted reader, when I needed a first pair of eyes on the book. They say it takes a village to raise children and the folks at Dunn were my eyes and ears as my kids got older. I’d walk in to the shop and was typically greeted with something like, “Your boys were just here, they’re headed over to Great Harvest (for a free slice of bread) and then to the lake.” Good to know! The people that worked there were my village. I moved from Linden Hills and was thrilled to find that Dunn Brothers had opened ina space near my new house. Not only did they serve coffee, but this location has wine and beer. Now my husband and I stop in the evenings, with our two dogs and sit at Dunn Brothers to watch our new neighborhood go by.
Dunn Brothers Coffee and all the wonderful people who work there are celebrating their 30th Anniversary this year. I made this apple honey cake to help them celebrate and to highlight one of my personal favorite, non-coffee drinks, the Vanilla Moon Cider. *They are also offering a giveaway of Dunn Brother Coffee goodies and a $50 gift card. See the bottom of the post for details on how to win and the recipe for the apple honey cake.
There are three new fall drinks to try at Dunn Brothers and my husband came with me to taste them all. The always popularPumpkin Pie Latte (made with real pumpkin and not just pumpkin pie spices),Honey Spiced Nirvana is made with their famous cold press coffee and the Vanilla Moon Cider for those who want something warm and tasty without the caffeine.
Apple Honey Cake with Rooibos Vanilla Glaze
Cake
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil (I used a neutral flavored oil, but olive oil is really nice too, or a combination of the two)
1/2 cup honey (something local to save the bees)
2 teaspoons vailla extract (make your own)
2 tablespoons calvados or apple cider
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 1/2 cups peeled, cored and 1/4″ cubed apples (I like to use a variety, your favorite local ones are great)
Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon honey
1-2 tablespoons rooibos tea or cider
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
Preheat oven to 325°F
Grease a 10-cup Bundt Pan
with lots of butter and then dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
Whisk together the sugar, oil, honey, eggs, vanilla, and calvados in a large bowl. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then fold the dry into the wet, until there are no lumps or dry flour. Stir in the apples. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs, but is not liquid.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. It should still be quite warm when you turn it out of the pan or it may stick. If you turn it out right away the cake may fall apart.
Invert the cake onto a serving plate and let it cool completely.
The apple honey cake is good enough to eat just like this, but the glaze is fantastic!
To make the glaze:
Stir the cream, honey, 1 tablespoon tea and vanilla bean together in a small bowl. If the glaze is too thick add more tea. If the glaze is too thin, add more sugar.
Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake.
It will drip down the sides and allow some of the cake to peek out.
Serve the cake at room temperature.
*To be eligible for the reader giveaway (in celebration of the 30th Anniversary and the start of the fall season, you must like/follow Zoe Bakes and Dunn Brothers on Instagram and/or Facebook. Dunn Brothers will send the winner (randomly drawn by Zoe Bakes) a gift pack including freshly roasted coffee beans, mug, and a $50 gift card.
You can follow us on Instagram here:Zoe Bakes and Dunn Brothers
You can follow us on Facebook here: Zoe Bakes and Dunn Brothers
Enjoy!
This post was sponsored by Dunn Brothers Coffee, but the opinions are all mine!
