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Cool crisp air, cold mornings and warm afternoons, pumpkins, wind, leaves, apples, warm drinks and scarfs,wearing a soft sweater, chai, cinnamon, soup, crock pots, fresh bread, yellow, orange, and red, all things I associate with fall.  This is my FAVORITE time of year!  It is the time of year my first child came into the world, when I became a mom, a role that would change me forever.  I love fall.

Fall makes me long to spend hours and hours in the kitchen.  The warm oven beckons me on a cold morning.  This week I have found sometime in my busy life to be in the kitchen, I feel more alive.  I was blessed to cook for a dear friend who just had a baby, and this cake was her dessert of choice.  I was glad she chose it, I love this cake.  The tender texture with the mixture of cinnamon and apples is a match made in heaven!

I have made this cake many times over the years and each time I make it I have the hardest time not eating it all!  It is delicious in every way, and somehow I can justify eating it for breakfast (it must be the apples!)  The recipe is straight forward, the only tricky thing is, the baking time.  It varies each time I make this cake.  I think it has to do with the apples, so keep a close eye on it once you hit one hour in the oven.  My average time is 1 hour 15 minutes, but this is definitely not set in stone!

Happy fall to all!

Apple Cream Cheese Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
  • 8 ounces block style cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 flour (white or whole wheat)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3 tsp. cinnamon, divided
  • 3 cups peeled and chopped apples (about 2 large)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 inch spring form pan.

In a large bowl cream together 1 1/4 cup sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla, about 4 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Pour the flour mixture into the liquids and mix until incorporated.

In a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of this cinnamon and sugar mixture over the apples.  Gently fold the apples into the batter.

Pour the batter into the spring form pan and smooth the top.  Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and sugar over the top of the cake and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes.  Remove the cake from the oven when a toothpick inserted comes out with only a crumb attached.

Cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before slicing.