Fall in Mississippi likes to keep us humble.
One morning, you walk outside and it is 66 degrees, and suddenly you are digging through the closet for a sweater, lighting a fall candle and contemplating whether it is too early to make soup.
Then, two days later, it is 87 degrees and you are sweating in the school pickup line.
Still, once we get that first little hint of cooler weather, I am ready. I want football on the television, something good cooking in the kitchen and all the cinnamon, apples and pecans I can reasonably justify.
This Brown Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll Cake checks every box.
It falls somewhere between a coffee cake, an apple cake and the gooey center of a cinnamon roll — which is really all anyone needs to know.
And the brown butter is worth the extra few minutes. Browning butter gives it that rich, almost nutty flavor that makes people think you did something far more complicated than you actually did. Those are my favorite kinds of recipes.
Brown Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll Cake
For the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup butter, melted
2 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
For the cinnamon swirl:
¾ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
½ cup chopped pecans, optional
For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
First, brown the butter for the cinnamon mixture. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to foam and turns golden brown with little toasted bits at the bottom. Remove it from the heat and stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter, stirring just until combined. Fold in the chopped apples.
Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish. Spoon the brown butter cinnamon mixture over the top and use a knife to swirl it through the batter. Sprinkle with pecans if you are using them.
Bake for about 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean.
Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, then drizzle the glaze over the cake while it is still warm.
And yes, you should eat a piece warm.
Preferably with a cup of coffee, the back door cracked open and a football game playing somewhere in the house.
Because Mississippi may not give us a long fall, but we certainly know how to make the most of the one we get.
