I’m sitting in my kitchen this morning listening to the rain pour down outside. It is really pleasing and cheerful after such a long hot and humid spell. It feels so refreshing after the oppressive heat. The air is cooler and more invigorating. I am envisioning everything getting washed fresh to bring in the new season.

Because it is September, and the apples are in season, my mind always wanders to baked apples, warm cinnamon, cloves and spices.

What better way to welcome in the cooler weather than a coffee cake filled with delicious softly baked apples.

Ming always gets frisky in the cooler weather, so we will be doing more outside walks. In the heat she just plops down and refuses to budge. Fawn pugs do have a double coat, which must be terribly hot. I can only imagine if I were wearing not one, but two coats in the hot weather, what I would do. Here she is in her beautiful new collar and leash from Pack Leashes. We always get her a brand new spiffy collar after Summer, and I found this company recently that donates 4 pounds of dog food to a no kill shelter with every purchase, plus their leashes are guaranteed for life! Gotta love that! You can get 20% off your purchase from me when shopping with them by using the code MINGANDLILY at checkout.

I’ve recently been busy in my sewing room making quilts. In this case they are two panda quilts, one is finished, and I am almost done with the second. I’ve been sewing since I was in middle school. I made one of my prom dresses in high school, then when my husband and I bought our first home, I made window treatments, pillows, table runners and other home decor. When we had our little girls, I sewed them dresses and Halloween costumes and stuffed animals. Then a nice women in our town introduced me to quilting, and I found a whole new avenue that I really loved. Two years ago I opened an Etsy Shop, Porcupine Craft Studio.  You can visit if here: Right now I have many different bags available, and my daughter Jessica makes greeting cards using quilling art. The quilts will go in the shop in the next couple weeks. I find time to sew in the evenings, and I  find it relaxing and an enjoyable creative outlet.

Here’s my latest quilt.

Back to the Apple Maple Coffee Cake! It is perfect for a rainy day or a sunny autumn day. This recipe is grain free, dairy free and nut free. I topped it with a creamy coconut butter maple frosting which is spread over the baked apple top. The cake is baked with the apples in the bottom, which makes them perfectly soft.

Apple Maple Coffee Cake with Maple Glaze

Preheat the oven to 350º degrees F.

Ingredients for the Cake:

3 Cups of Peeled, Cored and Sliced Apples

1/2 Cup of Maple Sugar

1/2 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flour

6 Pastured Eggs

1/4 Cup of Organic Shortening 

1/4 Cup of Coconut Butter

1 Tablespoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Lemon Juice

1 1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

2 Teaspoons of Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon of Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon of Allspice

1/8 Teaspoon of Cloves

1/4 Teaspoon of fine Sea Salt

Ingredients for the Maple Glaze:

1/2 Cup of Coconut Butter 

2 Tablespoons of Real Maple Syrup

Directions:

Grease an 8″ spring form or cake pan with organic shortening. Draw a round circle on parchment paper using the bottom of the cake pan as a template. Cut out the circle and place it in the bottom of the greased pan.

Place the peeled, sliced apples in the bottom of the pan in concentric circles starting on the outside and working your way in.

In a food processor, add six eggs and the maple sugar. Process until creamy. Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, coconut butter (soften the coconut butter just slightly for ten seconds in the microwave) and palm shortening, process until creamy. Add the coconut flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices. Process for thirty seconds, then scrape down the sides of the processor, and process another minute. Scoop the cake batter over the apples and spread evenly over the apples to the sides of the pan.

*If using a spring form pan, I recommend placing it on a cookie sheet to bake in case of leakage.

Bake in your preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean when poked in the middle of the cake with just a few crumbs on it.

Remove the coffee cake from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for ten minutes. Remove the sides of the spring form pan and cool completely. If using a cake pan, run a knife around the edges of the cake pan, and invert onto a wire rack to cool. When the cake is cooled, you are ready to make the glaze.

This is super simple and delicious. Soften a half cup of coconut butter in the microwave. Do this in ten second increments just until it is soft. Whisk in two tablespoons of pure maple syrup with a fork. Then, spread the glaze evenly over the coffee cake. Now it is all done and ready to serve.

You can absolutely pour this glaze over the cake when it is still warm and serve it that way too! There is nothing better than a warm coffee cake!