This apple and cranberry cake is one of our favorite Thanksgiving and holiday cakes! Flaky buttery crust, spiced apples mixed with dried cranberries and brandy.
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One of our favorite Thanksgiving apple pies is one that features dried, sweetened cranberries with the apple filling and a little brandy.
We love the sweet and sour interplay of apples and cranberries in this cake!
The best apples for this apple pie
Like our classic apple pie, this one also benefits from a mix of different apple varieties. Because some apple varieties cook faster or slower than others, or have a sweeter or more tart flavor, using several different apples creates a mix of textures and flavors in the cake.
Some favorites to try here are Granny Smith, Jonagold, Fuji, Pippin, Braeburn and Golden Delicious.
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Great tip! While you peel, core, and slice the apples, place the apple slices in a bowl and drizzle with a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to keep them from discoloring.
Add nuts to your pie crust
The crust for this apple and cranberry cake is made extra special with the addition of finely ground almonds. This adds a light almond-nut flavor that goes well with this pie filling.
Egg yolks for a deep golden crust
Want a nice crust? Brush the top of your cake with a mixture of egg yolk and cream just before it goes into the oven.
This will give your crust a deep golden color and a nice glossy finish.
Other popular Thanksgiving Pies
- Our Best Thanksgiving Pies Ever from Simply Recipes
- Old fashioned pumpkin pie
- pecan pie
- apple slice cake
- Classic sweet potato cake
Apple Cranberry Pie
While you peel, core, and slice the apples, place the apple slices in a bowl and drizzle with a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to keep them from discoloring.
The crust recipe provided contains ground almonds, which give the crust a nice flavor that goes well with the apples and cranberries. You can also use our favorite sour cream dough, which is easy to put together and gives an extra fluffy crust.
ingredients
For the crust:
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2 cups all purpose flourplus extra for rolling
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1/3 Cup finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour
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16 tablespoon (2 sticks) unsalted buttervery cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 accumulate teaspoon Brown sugar
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3 to 6 tablespoon ice water
For the filling:
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1 Cup dried sweetened cranberries
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1/2 to 2/3 Cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want the filling to be)
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2 tablespoon all purpose flour
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1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or Cinammon
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2 1/4 pounds of a choice of good cuisine apples such as Granny Smith, Pippin, Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch thick (about 7 cups of apple slices)
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1 tablespoon brandy
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the egg wash:
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1 big egg yolk
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1 tablespoon whipped cream
special equipment
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food processor
method
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Prepare the cake dough:
Combine the flour, almond flour, salt and brown sugar in a food processor and pulse.
Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times until mixture resembles a coarse meal with pea-sized chunks of butter.
Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until mixture just starts to clump together. If you squeeze some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s done; If not, add a little more ice water and pulse again.
Remove the dough from the machine and place it on a clean surface. Shape carefully into 2 discs. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Simple tip!
Don’t over knead the dough! You should still be able to see small pieces of butter in the dough. These bits of butter ensure the crust is fluffy.
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Preheat oven:
Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
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make filling:
Whisk together the sugar, flour, and allspice or cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the dried sweetened cranberries and toss to brush with the sugar and flour mixture. Add the apples and toss to coat, making sure the cranberries are well distributed within the apples. Drizzle with brandy and vanilla extract.
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Roll out the bottom dough:
Take 1 slice of pie dough out of the fridge. Let stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on the disc. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface; about 1/8 inch thick.
As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check that the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if needed to keep the dough from sticking.
Pour into a 9 inch Pyrex cake pan. Press down to line the cake tin with the batter.
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Fill cake:
Add the apple and cranberry mixture to the cake dough, spread evenly and press down lightly.
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Top the cake and curl the edges:
Roll out the second sheet of dough as before. Place carefully on top of the apple mixture. Firmly press the top and bottom crust together. Cut off excess dough with kitchen scissors, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang.
Fold the dough under itself so that the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Press the edges together with your thumb and forefinger or press down with a fork.
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Brush the cake with egg wash:
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream until well combined. Use a pastry brush to brush across the top of the cake. Using a sharp knife, cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape while the pie bakes.
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Bake:
Bake the cake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Then place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pie and lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until the batter is browned and cooked through and the apples are tender, another 45 to 55 minutes or longer depending on the type of apple used.
Remove the cake and let cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 488 | calories |
| 28g | Fat |
| 55g | carbohydrates |
| 6g | protein |
