Recipe: Autumn Moon Cafe Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake (Bundt cake)

APPLE SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

"When Kerry Heffernan, now executive sous-chef at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, owned Autumn Moon Cafe, she would sell about 25 to 30 of these cakes a week, which is about 250 to 300 slices! People were crazy for it, and every time she tried to create a new coffee cake with blueberries or peaches, there would be a "near riot." Eventually, she gave in and kept the cake on the menu, even during the summer months when other fruits were in season. It's a cake her mother taught her to make, and despite the clamoring of her customers, Kerry says this recipe adapts well for any type of fruit. The batter is perfect for pineapple upside-down cake as well."

FOR THE CAKE BATTER:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups white granulated sugar
6 eggs
Zest of 2 lemons
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

FOR THE FRUIT:
2 cups (1-inch-diced) apples tossed in a mixture of cinnamon sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 10-inch bundt pan.

TO PREPARE THE CAKE BATTER:
Cream the room temperature butter with an electric mixer. Add the white sugar and beat until light in color and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the lemon zest and beat again.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the 4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream. Beat the batter until smooth. Set aside.

TO PREPARE THE CRUMB TOPPING:
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter, using a pastry cutter, until the texture is coarse. Stir in the walnuts, if using.

TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the apples evenly over the batter. Pour the remaining batter over the apples. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter.

Bake for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges with a sharp knife. Invert onto a serving plate to unmold. The crumb "topping" now becomes the bottom of the cake.

Makes one 10-inch bundt cake
Source: In Mother's Kitchen: Celebrated Women Chefs Share Beloved Family Recipes by Ann Cooper with Lisa Holmes