Get all the cozy flavors of fall in one delicious apple cake

September rushed in with cool autumn temperatures and the ongoing battle between thick, gloomy rain clouds and clear blue sky.

I won’t deny I’ve enjoyed pulling a sweater or two out of my winter clothes bin and tossing the extra blanket on my feet at night (along with a cat) to stay warm. “Essence of winter sleep is on the night, The scent of apples: I am drowsing off,” Robert Frost wrote, probably on a similar such evening.

In any case, apples have returned to my refrigerator. We do buy apples in other seasons now that fruit is available all year long, but in summer months we eat them least of all, instead feasting on berries and peaches and plums with their bright skins and soft flesh. The afternoons are now slipping by and the nights are slowly gaining on us, calling out for crisp, cold, crunchy fruits. So, apples it is.

Apple cake was my recipe to consider this fall. I’ve made apple cakes before, but I haven’t enjoyed many of them. This particular recipe has evolved over time, starting as a quick bread-streusel version and landing as a cinnamon-coated-snack cake variety. I wanted a cake that tasted cleanly of apples with a big hit of cinnamon, that was moist but not soggy, and had apple pieces that weren’t distracting in size or texture.

Apple chunks are often clumsy in a cake — undercooked, thick and crunchy — so I cut my apples very thin: This way, as they bake, they practically melt into the cake batter. Soaking them in a small amount of apple cider and brandy also pumps up the apple flavor and adds a lot to this little cake.

There is also the apple selection process to consider. Choosing the “best” baking apple is important but personal; I find myself going with a good old Gala most of the time. I like the balanced, sweet-tart flavor, how they hold up during the baking process, and that they are available year-round in the grocery store.

I am aware that the right baking apple is very subjective, so before you blast me for my apple choices, know that you can substitute your favorite baking apple with delicious results.

“Magnified apples appear and disappear,

Stem end and blossom end,

And every fleck of russet showing clear.”

Serves 8 to 12.

You can use apple juice in place of the apple cider, but note that the flavor won’t be quite as strong. The brandy can be omitted, if desired. From Sarah Kieffer.

For the cake:

Directions

To prepare the topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and salt if using until combined.

To prepare the cake: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line with a parchment sling.

After cutting the apples into ⅛-inch slices, run your knife through the pieces a few times, creating bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, lemon juice, baking powder, salt and baking soda until combined. Add the flour and use a spatula to stir it into the batter. Switch to a whisk and whisk the batter to eliminate and remaining flour lumps, about 10 seconds. Add the reduced cider and apples to the batter and mix again until combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth out the top. Sprinkle the cake evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake for 24 to 30 minutes, until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the batter comes out clean, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool. Use the parchment sling to gently lift the cake out of the pan. Cut the cake into squares and serve. Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.