There’s nothing like crisp, juicy apples in the fall and who grows them better than Mexicans, who have grown them here for centuries!? And what better use for them than a surprisingly traditional Mexican apple pie?

It all started about 20 years after the Spanish conquest around the mid-16th century; however, apples weren’t grown as a fruit to be enjoyed, or to be put into succulent pies or pastries, but rather to be turned into alcohol for the Europeans who had settled here, in the form of apple cider, the hard kind, which was refused to indigenous peoples. But missionaries had other ideas and became most instrumental in introducing apples to the Mexican people, expanding their horizons beyond alcohol, and teaching them cultivation and growing techniques. It didn’t take long for the fruit to prosper in the mountainous regions of Mexico, where growing conditions were superb. 

Chihuahua, the largest state in Mexico and located in the northwest part of the country, is now their largest producer of apples, and accounts for about 70%-90% of total production, with Golden Delicious being the primary variety grown (about 60%).  But overall, apples play a very small part of the country’s commercial fruit industry, totaling about 3%. The government, however, has ambitious plans to increase apple production by 40% by 2030, thanks to their National Agricultural Plan. 

Apples in Mexico are featured at local markets and in supermarkets and are an integral part of festivals, especially during the harvest which runs from late July to mid-October. Puebla’s history with apples also dates back centuries, and they’re known for producing cider and other apple-based delicacies. 

So, what types of apples are grown here? Red Delicious; Golden Delicious; Granny Smith; Gala; Fuji and Honeycrisp, to name a few. But when it comes to baking, there’s only one that stands alone: The bright, green, Granny Smith. 

A panel of six apple growers in the States was asked about their top pick for baking and they all said the same thing: The Granny Smith. An apple like no other, that provides that perfect balance between sweet and tart, that can be mixed with a sweeter apple like the Fuji for a wonderful blend of flavor. 

Well, the time couldn’t be better! It’s harvest and the apples are in abundance so let’s make them into a luscious caramel apple-combo cake, that’s infused with a tangy, sweet, gooey apple-cider sauce. Disfruta!

Gooey Caramel Apple Combo-Cake with an Apple-Cider Caramel Sauce

Apple-Cider Caramel Sauce (makes about one cup):

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups (473 ml) apple cider* (sidra)

*Apple cider can be found in supermarkets like La Comer; City Market; Soriana. Local vendors and markets often carry it, also. 

• ¼ Cup (55 g) brown sugar (azucar mascadado)
• ½ Cup (120 g) heavy cream (crema de batir)
• 2 TBS. (28 g) unsalted butter* (mantequilla sin sal)

*Best Mexican brands: Lala; Gloria; Alpura; Aguascalientes; Flor de Alfalfa.

• ½ tsp. (2.1 g) pure vanilla extract* (extracto de vainilla)

*Mexican brands noted for their intense flavor: Villa Vainilla; Vainilla Totonac’s; Molina Vainilla 

• ¼ tsp. (0.69 g) ground cinnamon (canela)
• ¼ tsp. (0.75 g) kosher salt (sal kosher) or any large-grain salt

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring apple cider to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until the cider reduces to a dark, thick syrup about 1/4 cup in volume. Watch very carefully the last few minutes to ensure the cider doesn’t burn.

Reduce heat to medium-low, then add granulated and brown sugars. Let bubble for 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves, then add the butter and heavy cream.

Boil over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens somewhat, 3-5 minutes. The caramel will seem thin at this point.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. 

Allow the caramel to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, until it reaches a thicker but still pourable consistency (it will still be warm).

Make the cake.

Gooey Caramel Apple Cake:

• ⅔ Cup (213 g) homemade apple-cider caramel sauce
• 1 Cup (120 g) white whole wheat flour

*Use only US flour, available online. *There is no substitute for white whole-wheat flour.

• 1 tsp. (2.6 g) ground cinnamon (canela)
• ½ tsp. (1.5 g) kosher salt (sal kosher) or any large-grain salt
• ½ tsp. (2.4 g) baking powder (polvo de hornear)
• ¼ tsp. (1.5 g) baking soda (bicarbonato)
• ¼ tsp. (0.55 g) nutmeg (nuez moscada)
• ¼ tsp. (0.55) allspice*

*Make your own: 1 TBS. (7 g) ground nutmeg (nuez moscada); 1 TBS. (7 g) ground cloves (clavo molido); 1 TBS. (7 g) ground cinnamon (canela). Mix and store in an air-tight container.

• ¾ Cup (156 g) brown sugar (azucar mascabado)
• ¼ Cup (58 g) unsalted butter (4 tablespoons) melted and cooled (mantequilla sin sal)
• ¼ Cup (52 g) virgin coconut oil (~aceite de coco virgen) melted and cooled (or an additional 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled)
• 1 large egg (huevo)
• 1 TBS. milk (15.23 g) or cream (leche entera o crema de batir)
• ½ Cup (75 g) roughly chopped toasted* pecans or walnuts or a mix of both. (nueces)

*To toast nuts: Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Place in a 350F oven (177C) for 5-10 minutes until toasted. Once golden brown, remove from the baking sheet to a bowl to cool. 

• ⅓ Cup (50 g) whole pecan halves untoasted (nueces)
• 1/2-Pound (227 g) firm Granny Smith, and 1/2- Pound (227 g) firm Fuji apples, peeled and cut into small dice (manzanas Granny Smith y ~manzanas Fuji)

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350F (177 C)
• With cooking spray, lightly spray an 8×8-inch light-metal baking pan. 
• Line with parchment paper so that the paper on two, opposite ends hang over the sides, forming “handles.” 
• Lightly coat with cooking spray a second time; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat the brown sugar, butter, coconut oil, egg, and milk until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. 
• Fold in the apples and 1/2 cup of chopped, toasted pecans.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then fold again until combined. 
• Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Drizzle the caramel over the batter (this is what makes the cake gooey), then sprinkle with the remaining whole pecans.
• Bake until deep golden at the edges and the sides begin to pull away from the pan, about 30 minutes. 
• Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. 
• Remove from the pan using the parchment-paper “handles.”

Serve with Ice-Cream or Tequila Whipped Cream!

Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter™ on FaceBook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” via CakeChatter (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ (aa-wp.com).