Apple Showdown: Pie vs. Cake, featuring Erin McDowell

It’s fall, which means it’s time to talk about baking with apples!

David and Jessica kick off the show by talking about apple pie versus apple cake, then dig into the best apples for baking. Unsurprisingly, they have a lot of opinions! Then David sits down with one of the best all-around bakers in the country and the undisputed pie queen, Erin Jeanne McDowell, to get her top tips for apple baking. Jessica and David answer your biggest apple baking questions before Jessica shares a Jess-opinion about caramel apples, and they close the show with the best fall-forward recipes they’re baking this week.

Recipes and other links from this episode:

• Read our blog, The best pie apples: Here's how to choose
• Learn more about Erin McDowell and her brand-new cookbook, Bake Anything, at erinjeannemcdowell.com
• Want to learn directly from Erin? Take her On-Demand pie baking class
• Get fall’s best baking ingredient: Vermont Boiled Cider
• Read our blog on how to prevent the gap in pie crust
• Get our recipe for Apple Pie with Make-Ahead Filling
• What David’s baking this week: Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
• What Jessica’s baking this week: Apple Crumb Cake
• Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here!
• Follow along with us on Substack
• For 25% off any On-Demand baking class, use coupon code POD25 at shop.kingarthurbaking.com/on-demand-classes
• Cabot is a farmer-owned cooperative dedicated to making delicious, high-quality cheese and dairy products, and 100% of profits go back to the farm families that own Cabot. Visit Cabot’s website for recipes, pairing suggestions, and a curated selection of gift boxes for every occasion.
• This episode is sponsored by Supernatural. Supernatural makes imaginative baking ingredients that are colored by plants, fully traceable, and totally free from anything artificial or synthetic. Learn more at supernaturalkitchen.com