APPLESAUCE COFFEE CAKE

Applesauce Coffee Cake image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes one 10-inch cake

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Vegetable-oil cooking spray
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped toasted pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
Apple-Cider Applesauce or 1 1/2 cups store-bought applesauce
2 small juicy apples, such as McIntosh, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch angel-food-cake pan with cooking spray; set aside. Make crumb topping: Stir together 4 tablespoons butter, the dark-brown sugar, oats, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans; set aside.
Make batter: Sift flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, and remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 3/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. Put remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, the granulated sugar, and light-brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Reduce speed to low; mix in applesauce and then flour mixture. Stir in remaining cup nuts by hand.
Pour batter into oiled pan; sprinkle reserved crumb topping over batter. Lay apples on top, tucking some into batter.
Bake until a cake tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack.