Spice Apple Bars

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

When I saw this recipe in Katie’s blog in the fall, I knew I’d have to make it. And boy are we glad I did. These might be one of my favorite things I’ve ever baked. Definitely in the top 10. One of hubby’s coworkers said he would do any amount of manual labor we asked of him if I made a batch of these for him.

Apple Spice bars – from Katie
2 c. plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
small pinch ground cloves
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 apples, cored and diced (a little less than 2 c.) – I used Macintosh apples
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 9×13 pan with foil and baking spray (I doubled the recipe and used one 9×13 and one 8×8 pan because I wanted them to be thicker).

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Whisk to combine well and set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugars and butter and beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.

Turn mixer on slow and fold in flour mixture a little at a time until just combined. Fold in apples.

Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle top generously with cinnamon sugar.

Place in oven and bake until cooked through, when top slightly bounces back to the touch, about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan, cutting and serving. Bars will be very soft.

Bars and Brownies, Dessert

11 comments »

30 Responses to “Dorie’s Perfect Party Cake”

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1

CB — March 30, 2008 at 4:57 am

I love the idea of perfect party minicakes!! They look delish! Great job! That flour picture is so funny. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done that – flour on the counter, on my KA, in my hair, on my face!
Clara @ I♥food4thought
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2

Nemmie — March 30, 2008 at 5:10 am

Yum! Love the raspberry/lemon combo, and the mini cakes are adorable 🙂
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3

Morven — March 30, 2008 at 11:36 am

Well done – what an innovative variation. They look so cute!
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Maryann — March 30, 2008 at 11:49 am

I can totally relate to the slippery effect.
Your cake looks beautiful!
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5

Sheltie Girl — March 30, 2008 at 12:09 pm

You did a lovely job on all your mini cakes.

Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go
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slush — March 30, 2008 at 1:23 pm

Adorable! Your KA and mine would be best friends. ‘Chuck’ is always filthy. Poor guy. He gets cleaned up, just to be coated again. 😉
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Ben — March 30, 2008 at 1:27 pm

How cute! Making mini-cakes is a great idea. Next time I make this cake I will try that, I still have a HUGE cake in the fridge I need to eat :-/

Cheers!
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~Amber~ — March 30, 2008 at 2:24 pm

Great idea on the mini cakes. They are really cute. Great job. To the next challenge we go.
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Carrie — March 30, 2008 at 3:21 pm

beautifully done!!! love it!!!
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Jerry — March 30, 2008 at 3:59 pm

I love the little cakes! Plus the raspberries! Yummy!
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L Vanel — March 30, 2008 at 4:20 pm

The mini cakes look really amazing!
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Allergy Mom — March 30, 2008 at 4:46 pm

The minicakes are wonderful! Now, you’ll need my address to send one…Libby 😉
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Butta Buns — March 30, 2008 at 5:23 pm

Love the idea of the mini cakes, that’s so adorable!
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Bridget — March 30, 2008 at 7:16 pm

Mini-cakes are definitely more work than one large cake! They’re so cute though.
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Nikki — March 30, 2008 at 7:43 pm

What a cute idea! They look adorable!
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Gail — March 30, 2008 at 7:51 pm

I love desserts in miniature and your mini cakes look beautiful. I think I will most definitely be making mini cakes sometime in the near future – thank you for the wonderful idea!

~gail
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Claire — March 30, 2008 at 9:04 pm

I’m loving the mini versions! The cake looks fantastic. Mmmmm!
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Peabody — March 30, 2008 at 9:32 pm

I made mini ones too. I hate to tell you but it is way easier to frost a whole cake than mini ones. 🙂
Looks great.
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Beth G. — March 30, 2008 at 9:52 pm

Beautiful!! You did a gorgeous job :O)
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Namratha — March 30, 2008 at 11:08 pm

These individual cakes look pretty…well done!
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Lesley — March 31, 2008 at 12:10 am

Really cute idea to make individual cakes, I love that. Great job!
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jasmine — March 31, 2008 at 12:58 am

I adore your minicakes. V lovely.

j
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leafy bombshell — March 31, 2008 at 2:23 am

Oh! the minicakes are just the best idea ever. I probably should have done that with my oh-so flat cakes. How great.
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Ritsumei — March 31, 2008 at 3:57 am

Mini cakes -what a great idea! I think I’m going to have to try that here pretty soon. Looks like a delicious lot of fun. Especially the part where you get to eat the scraps. I think this cake was some of the best I’ve had.
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ruthEbabes — March 31, 2008 at 2:15 pm

What cute little mini cakes! Aren’t things just better when they’re mini?

Great work!
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Gabi — March 31, 2008 at 4:00 pm

I love the little cakes and the picture with the raspberry and lemon zest is so enticing!
Perfect!
xoxo
Gabi
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Jenny — April 1, 2008 at 1:14 am

Another messy baker here! And I love the mini cakes – I’m nice to see its as low-tech as cutting circles out of larger pieces rather than trying to bake a bunch of cakes in miniature pans.
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creampuff — April 1, 2008 at 1:55 am

Jen,

Your little cakes are gorgeous! I too love swiss buttercream … congratulations on a job well done!
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JMom — April 1, 2008 at 9:12 pm

wow, that takes some patience, putting all those cakes together! They are just the cutest though. ~ JMom
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Big Boys Oven — April 2, 2008 at 8:54 am

so petite and cute!