Ina Garten used to make this easy apple cake at her Barefoot Contessa store. It's the perfect fall dessert.

Anneta KonstantinidesSep 25, 2024, 02:43 IST

I made Ina Garten's apple spice cake and found the perfect fall dessert.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I made Ina Garten's fresh apple spice cake, her most fall-friendly dessert.
The cake features Granny Smith apples, rum-soaked raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans.

From her delightfully bright breakfast cake to her "outrageous" brownies, Ina Garten always delivers a delicious dessert — I've even ranked them.

But as temperatures began to dip, I wanted to find a sweet recipe that truly embodied autumn. And when I stumbled on Garten's fresh apple spice cake, I knew I had to try it.

Garten demonstrated the cake on an early episode of "Barefoot Contessa," revealing she used to make it at the Hamptons food store that helped launch her cooking career.

"We used to have all kinds of cakes like this out on the bakery counter, and you could come buy a whole cake but you could also buy a piece," she said. "It's not fancy, just really delicious and earthy, and you always want to come back for more."

Ina Garten's apple spice cake features all the classic fall flavors.

Garten's apple spice cake features a number of spices, plus dark rum.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Before the baking began, I needed to preheat the oven and prep my pan.

I buttered and floured my baking pan before I made the batter.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Garten has a few special prep tricks to get the best flavor from her ingredients, including the pecans.

I toasted the pecans for around eight minutes.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

She also has a baking hack for the rum-soaked raisins.

The rum-soaked raisins.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I also chopped my apples and zested my oranges.

I zested two oranges for the cake.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

It was time to start the batter.

Making the batter for the apple spice cake.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I mixed my wet ingredients for three minutes.

I mixed my batter on medium speed.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Then I prepped my dry ingredients.

Mixing my dry ingredients.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I slowly added my dry ingredients to the mixer.

I mixed the batter until it was just combined.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Then I drained my raisins.

Draining my raisins.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I folded the raisins, pecans, and apples into the mixture before spreading my batter onto the prepared pan.

I baked my apple spice cake for 45 minutes.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

My prep work was done — and it was time to bake.

My apple spice cake fresh out of the oven.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I cut my cake into squares and served each slice with vanilla ice cream and drizzles of caramel. It looked — and tasted — like an absolute delight.

Garten's fresh apple spice cake was a delicious flurry of fall flavors.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Garten's fresh apple spice cake is the perfect fall dessert.

I loved Garten's fresh apple spice cake for both breakfast and dessert.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I ate my way through the classic menu at Insomnia, the cookie chain that dominated the market long before Crumbl's debut

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