Living in the Colorado high country is pure joy. Baking in it isn’t. High altitude makes cookies spread in the pan, cakes fall, and few baked goods turn out as they do at sea level. This twice-monthly column presents recipes and tips to make baking in the mountains successful. 

If a cake married a cobbler, what would their children be like? This little pastry is a good possibility. With more fruit than most cakes and more cake than most cobblers, it’s a pleasing union. Big chunks of sweet apple, bathed in a little alcohol, are nestled in a light, delicate batter flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. Served warm, it’s great comfort food and a welcome addition to either brunch or an evening meal. As a dessert, it cries out to be paired with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream and, for adults, I dress it up with a sauce made with the same whiskey I used in the cake batter. Both the cake and the whiskey sauce can be made ahead and re-heated. 

Comforting apple cake

Adjusted for altitudes of 7,000 feet and above. Make in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, preferably glass.

Cake

• 1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon dark rum, bourbon, or melted butter
• 2 sweet baking apples 
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour, spoon and level
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (one stick), at room temperature 
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste

Whiskey sauce, optional

• 1/2 packed cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cool water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1-2 tablespoons dark rum or bourbon to taste

Get ready: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the center position. Grease the baking pan with a baking spray that contains flour. Make sure the eight tablespoons of butter and the two eggs are at room temperature. (If necessary, grate butter to soften it and place the eggs in a bowl of hot tap water until they are room temperature.) Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl, whisk to combine well, and set aside. 

Prepare the apples:  In a large bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the cinnamon, and the rum/bourbon or melted butter. Stir until moist and well blended. Peel and core the two apples and cut them into slices a little less than 1/2-inch wide (if they are any larger they may not be completely baked when the cake is done). Score each slice with the tines of a fork and toss them in the bowl until they are thoroughly coated with the sugar-cinnamon-rum mixture. Set this aside.

Make the batter: Beat the butter, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, and the lemon zest with an electric mixer until creamy and light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth after each addition. Add the vanilla with the last egg. Add the flour mixture and stir (low speed on mixer) only until it blends into the moist ingredients, don’t overmix! Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan, smooth and level it. 

Assemble the cake: Arrange the apples decoratively on top of the cake batter and sprinkle the top with the last tablespoon of granulated sugar.

Bake and cool: Move the pan to the oven and bake until the cake is golden, the apples are tender, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (the batter around the apples may still look soft), 35-45 minutes. Remove and cool it completely on a rack. 

Cut and serve: It cuts most cleanly when cool and can be stored, well covered, in the refrigerator for a day. Re-heat pieces in the oven at 325 degrees until warm to the touch. 

Prepare the whiskey sauce, if using: Combine the brown sugar, water, and cornstarch in a small saucepan and stir until well combined. Place on the stovetop and stir over medium heat until it boils and thickens slightly. Reduce heat and simmer for a minute or two. Add the marmalade and stir until melted and blended. Stir in one tablespoon whiskey, taste, and add more if desired. Strain and set aside to cool. Store at cool room temperature for up to two days. Stir before serving.

Vera Dawson’s column “High Country Baking” publishes biweekly in the Summit Daily News. Dawson is a high-elevation baking instructor and author of three high-altitude cookbooks. Her recipes have been tested in her kitchen in Frisco, where she’s lived since 1991, and altered until they work at elevation. Contact her at veradawson1@gmail.com.