Easy Autumn Cakes: 7 Seasonal Fruit Recipes To Make With Family

Apples are piling up in the crates, the last figs are finishing ripening, and the first chestnuts are falling from their husks... No doubt about it, autumn is the favorite season of Sunday bakers. And with the days getting shorter and the rainy afternoons, it's the perfect time to bring out the mixing bowl and get the whole family involved in the kitchen. I offer you 7 easy autumn cake recipes, made with seasonal fruits, that the kids can prepare with you (and almost without you, for the older ones).

Autumn fruits: which ones to choose for a cake?

For an autumn cake, the easiest fruits to find are apple, pear, fig, grape, chestnut, and walnut, not to mention squashes like pumpkin. Most are at their best in September and October:

• Apple and pear: from September to November, and well beyond for storage apples.
• Fig and grape: only in September and October.
• Walnut and hazelnut: from September, fresh then dried.
• Quince: in October, mainly for jellies.
• Chestnut: in October and November (and all year round in chestnut cream).
• Pumpkin and potimarron: from September to the end of autumn.

1- Yogurt cake with apples: the easiest to make with children.

The apple yogurt cake is the ideal cake to start baking with children, as it can be prepared without a scale: the empty yogurt pot serves as a measuring cup. Here is the basic version, inspired by this step-by-step recipe for apple yogurt cake, where you will also find variations without eggs or gluten.

Ingredients for 6 to 8 people:

• 1 pot of plain yogurt (keep the empty pot to measure the rest)
• 3 pots of flour
• 2 pots of sugar
• half a pot of sunflower oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 packet of baking powder and 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 2 large apples (Golden, Royal Gala, or Boskoop)

Preparation:

1- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (th. 6) and grease a round mold of 20 to 22 cm.

2- Pour the yogurt into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, then the beaten eggs, and mix.

3- Incorporate the flour, baking powder, and vanilla sugar, then the oil, until you obtain a smooth batter.

4- Wash and peel the apples, cut them into pieces, and mix them into the batter (or place them at the bottom of the mold before pouring in the batter).

5- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes: the blade of a knife should come out dry. Wait 10 minutes before unmolding.

The role of children: from the age of 3, they empty the yogurt, fill the pots, and mix. Older ones crack the eggs and cut the apples with an appropriate knife. It is often the very first cake that is made in kindergarten... and the one that leaves the best memory.

2- Pear-chocolate moist cake: the autumn duo favored by food lovers.

The pear-chocolate cake pleases everyone, from children to grandparents. A pairing that dates back a while: the Belle-Hélène pear, drizzled with hot chocolate, is said to have been named in homage to Offenbach's operetta created in 1864.

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 3 ripe but firm pears (Conference, for example)
• 150 g of dark baking chocolate
• 100 g of butter
• 3 eggs
• 100 g of sugar
• 80 g of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt

Preparation:

1- Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease a 22 cm round cake pan.

2- Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bain-marie, then let it cool slightly.

3- Whisk the eggs with the sugar until the mixture turns pale, then add the melted chocolate.

4- Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt, and pour the batter into the pan.

5- Wash and peel the pears, cut them in half, remove the core, and press the pear halves into the batter in a star shape.

6- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes and let cool before unmolding.

The role of children: whisking the eggs with the sugar and arranging the pears in a star shape. The bain-marie remains an adult task.

For an almond variation, with diced pears and chocolate chips, also try our pear almond chocolate cake.

3- Apple-hazelnut cake with cinnamon: the scent of autumn snacks.

The apple-hazelnut cake with cinnamon is the scent of autumn that fills the whole house. The hazelnut, harvested from September, adds crunch and a slight roasted flavor, while the cinnamon takes care of the rest.

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 3 apples
• 3 eggs
• 120 g of brown sugar
• 100 g of melted butter
• 150 g of flour
• 50 g of hazelnut powder and 40 g of whole hazelnuts
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt

Preparation:

1- Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease a 24 cm round cake pan.

2- Toast the whole hazelnuts in a pan for 3 to 4 minutes without any fat, then crush them.

3- Whisk the eggs with the sugar, add the melted butter, then the flour, hazelnut powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

4- Wash, peel, and dice two apples, mix them into the batter, and pour everything into the pan.

5- Cover with the third apple, washed, peeled, and sliced thinly, sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

The role of children: crush the hazelnuts in a freezer bag using a rolling pin (guaranteed laughter). Just make sure to check that no little guest is allergic to nuts.

4- Upside-down cake with figs and honey: for the last fresh figs.

The upside-down fig cake is the best way to enjoy the last fresh figs still available in October. It is unmolded upside down, still warm: the figs are on top, shiny and candied in honey.

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 10 to 12 fresh figs
• 3 tablespoons of liquid honey
• 3 eggs
• 100 g of sugar
• 100 g of melted butter, plus a knob for the mold
• 150 g of flour
• 1 packet of baking powder and a pinch of salt

Preparation:

1- Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease a round 22 cm mold (not a springform pan, as the honey would leak) and pour the honey into the bottom.

2- Rinse and then cut the figs in half and arrange them on the honey, cut side down.

3- Whisk the eggs with the sugar, add the warmed melted butter, then the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4- Pour the batter over the figs and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

5- Let it rest for 5 minutes, then turn the cake onto a serving platter.

The role of children: cut the figs in half and arrange them in a rosette. No caramel to prepare, so no hot sugar to handle near them.

For the classic version, dusted with sugar and flavored with cinnamon, see our upside-down fig cake.

5- Chestnut Fondant: the coziest cake of autumn

The chestnut fondant requires only three ingredients: chestnut cream, eggs, and butter. It is the easiest cake on this list... and the chestnut cream has its history, as it was created in 1885 in Privas, Ardèche, to avoid wasting broken pieces of candied chestnuts.

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 500 g of chestnut cream
• 3 eggs
• 80 g of butter, plus a knob for the mold

Preparation:

1- Preheat the oven to 180 °C and butter a round 20 cm mold.

2- Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.

3- Mix the chestnut cream with the eggs, one by one, then add the melted butter.

4- Pour into the mold and bake for 25 to 30 minutes: the center should remain slightly wobbly.

5- Let it cool completely before unmolding, as the fondant holds better when cold.

The role of children: cracking the eggs and mixing everything is within their reach from the age of 4 or 5.

And for a version without eggs or dairy products, our easiest chestnut cake in the world can be prepared in about ten minutes with apple-chestnut compote.

6- Pumpkin and spice cake: the Halloween recipe

The pumpkin and spice cake is the perfect dessert for Halloween on October 31st. Its orange flesh gives a soft and colorful crumb, and its chestnut flavor has earned it its name, a contraction of "pumpkin" and "chestnut."

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 300 g of pumpkin, preferably organic (with the skin, without the seeds)
• 3 eggs
• 120 g of brown sugar
• 10 cl of sunflower oil
• 200 g of flour
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg

Preparation:

1- Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease a loaf pan or a round mold of 22 cm.

2- Wash the pumpkin, remove the seeds, and finely grate the flesh with the skin: it is thin and softens during cooking.

3- Whisk the eggs with the sugar, then add the oil.

4- Incorporate the flour, baking powder, and spices, then the grated pumpkin.

5- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the blade of a knife comes out dry.

The role of children: to scoop out the seeds with a spoon, once the pumpkin has been cut in half by an adult. They may be surprised to learn that for botanists, squash is indeed a fruit, as it contains seeds!

7- Fresh raisin and nut cake: the snack to take away

The fresh grape and walnut cake is prepared in September and October, when table grapes and fresh walnuts arrive together in the markets. Easy to slice and transport, it is perfect for a snack on the go.

Ingredients for 6 to 8 people:

• 200 g of seedless grapes
• 60 g of walnut halves
• 3 eggs
• 120 g of sugar
• 125 g of melted butter
• 200 g of flour, plus one tablespoon for the grapes
• 1 packet of baking powder and a pinch of salt

Preparation:

1- Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease a loaf pan.

2- Rinse and then cut the grapes in half, dry them, and roll them in the tablespoon of flour: they won't sink to the bottom of the pan.

3- Whisk the eggs with the sugar, add the melted butter, then the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4- Add the chopped walnuts and the grapes, then pour into the pan.

5- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes and let cool before unmolding.

The role of children: to pick the grapes and, around 6 or 7 years old, to crack the walnuts with a nutcracker... ensuring that the halves end up in the cake. For younger children, make sure they do not swallow a whole grape (risk of choking).

Baking with children: who does what according to age?

From the age of 2 or 3, a child can pour, mix, and decorate, and by around 6 or 7 years old, they begin to weigh ingredients, follow recipes, and cut soft fruits with an appropriate knife. The oven, double boiler, and caramel remain the domain of adults.

• From 2 to 4 years: wash the fruits, pour the measured ingredients, mix, decorate.
• From 4 to 6 years: fill yogurt pots, butter the mold, crack eggs into a separate bowl (just in case...).
• From 6 to 9 years: weigh, cut pears and figs with a rounded knife, use the mixer with an adult.
• From 10 years: peel with a peeler, melt chocolate, bake under supervision.

These moments in the kitchen are also reflected on the plate: in a study published in 2014 involving 47 children aged 6 to 10, those who prepared lunch with a parent ate 76% more salad than those whose parent cooked alone.

One last piece of advice, even if it will make food lovers grimace: do not taste raw dough and do not lick the bowl. Raw flour can contain bacteria, and raw cake batter has already caused E. coli outbreaks in North America as well as in France.

Fruit cakes: how long do they last?

A fresh fruit cake can be kept for two to three days at room temperature, under a dome or in an airtight box, once completely cooled. The fruits add moisture and softness, so it doesn't last as long as a plain pound cake. If there are too many leftovers, freeze it in individually wrapped slices: they will keep for about two months and thaw in an hour, just in time for snack time.

Apple, pear, fig, or chestnut, all that's left is to choose the first cake of the season... and get the aprons out!

Note Well

• Chestnut and sweet chestnut: in cooking, the sweet chestnut is a variety of chestnut whose burr contains only one large fruit. Chestnut cream is therefore made with sweet chestnuts.
• Horse chestnut: the fruit of the horse chestnut tree resembles a chestnut but is not edible. Its burr has a few large, spaced spines, while that of the sweet chestnut has fine, close-set spines.