Apple Butter Gingerbread

Apple Butter Gingerbread is not too sweet, definitely spicy and when topped with honey butter (or apple butter!) A delicious tea time treat.

I have a love / hate relationship with Fall. On one hand, cold and I never get along - from the beginning of October until the end of April (at least) you'll find me bundled up in sweaters, coats, scarves and hats, cursing the weather and lamenting my poor Raynaud's-afflicted digits. On the other hand, I love the variety of colours outside and the smells of heartier, spicier cooking and baking that come with the blustery weather (especially if I'm cooking, because I'm inside!).

Of course, Fall also brings the produce of the season, and around here apples are everywhere! While Mom whips up more pies than I can count with her bushels, I tend to make a few crisps before cooking the rest into sweet, sticky apple butter. The apple butter is my spread of the season - rich, thick and spreadable, it's less sweet than jam and more versatile than applesauce but with a caramel note you can't beat. After the one requisite pie that I make (shh...I loathe making pastry), the rest is portioned and frozen for later use, including spice cakes like this one.

It's no secret that I am a fan of spices, and at my workplace ginger always reigns supreme. This snack cake combines a variety of fall flavours in each bite - from the apple butter to the nutty flax and spelt, the warming spices and rich brown sugar and maple. The resulting bake isn't overly sweet, which in my book makes it A-OK for breakfast (right?) or as a light dessert with a drizzle of maple syrup or even a small scoop of ice cream. I personally love to warm it up as well and serve it with our local apple cider!

Apple Butter Gingerbread
Serves 9
½ cup apple butter (homemade or store bought)
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup (I prefer dark)
⅓ cup cashew milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1⁄4 cups spelt flour
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tbsp ground ginger
1⁄2 tsp allspice
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
pinch salt

1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease a 9” square pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the apple butter, sugar, maple syrup, cashew milk, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add the flour, flax seed, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
4. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.