CINNAMON APPLE SOUR CREAM CAKE

Apples and cinnamon are undoubtedly a delicious combination, but apple-cinnamon desserts often tend toward the cloyingly sweet. For this cake, I use sour cream as the sole fat source to provide a pleasant tartness that balances out the sugar. Sliced almonds add a nice crunch, and an unexpected pinch of cayenne gives the cake a little something extra without making it spicy.

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Butter for greasing pan
1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups spelt flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups peeled, cored, and chopped sweet apples
1 cup sliced almonds
Powdered sugar for topping
Crème fraîche for topping

DIRECTIONS

Grease a bundt pan and set aside. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together cake flour, spelt flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cumin, and cayenne. Stir in salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sour cream and sugar. With an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each until creamy. Add vanilla and beat for another minute.
Add the flour and spices to the wet ingredients, beating on low speed just until combined. With a rubber spatula, fold in apples and almonds until they are dispersed evenly. Do not mix too vigorously or you will flatten the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack on the counter. Allow cake to cool in pan.
Once cake is cool, turn it out onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. Slice and serve each piece with a dollop of crème fraîche.