Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- *** Cake ***
- 2 cooking apples; peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus more to dust cake pan
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup butter; at room temperature plus more to grease cake pan
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- *** Streusel ***
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 4 Tbsp. butter; cut into small pieces
- 2 Tbsp. shortening; cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup pecan pieces
Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter and dust with flour.
Streusel:[/br] 2. Combine all remaining streusel ingredients (except butter, shortening, and pecans) in a food processor.
3. Add butter and shortening. Pulse about 10 times then process for 5 to 10 seconds until there are no visible lumps of fat.
Cake:[/br] 4. Peel and chop apples and toss with lemon juice. Set aside.
5. Mix together 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl.
6. Using an electric mixer beat 1/2 cup butter for about 30 seconds, then beat in granulated sugar and vanilla.
7. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Alternately add flour mixture and ricotta cheese to batter. Mix on low speed after each addition until combined. Note: this batter will be rather thick and stiff.
9. Spread 1/2 of the batter into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the filling mixture and then the diced apples. Spoon remaining batter over apples. It will not spread smoothly so be gentle and use dollops of batter. Sprinkle with remaining topping and nuts.
10. Bake 45-50 minutes more or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool at least 1 hour on a wire rack.