We were smitten with this walnut loaf — from a recipe at the Coffee Cafe, in a historic 1881 house in California’s Eastern Sierra — even before it came out of the oven, the scents of cinnamon and apple perfuming the kitchen as it baked.
1881 Coffee Cafe’s Dutch Apple Walnut Loaf
Topping:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Set aside.
Loaf and assembly:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups peeled and diced apples
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-by-3-inch baking dish. Line the base of the dish with parchment paper, then grease the top of the parchment paper.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Beat in the buttermilk and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. With the mixer running, slowly beat in the dry ingredients just until fully combined. Stir in diced apples and chopped walnuts by hand.
Pour the batter into the prepared dish, then sprinkle the topping over it.
Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then unmold and cool completely before slicing.
Each of 10 servings: 390 calories, 5 grams protein, 51 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 19 grams fat, 10 grams saturated fat, 79 milligrams cholesterol, 28 grams sugar, 267 milligrams sodium.
