Recipe Girl®Cinnamon Apple Pie Cake (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to use flour or cornstarch for apple pie? ›

Corn starch lends a glossy thickness and adds sheen to the filling while flour adds opacity and some mouthfeel so that it has a sort-of creaminess. With all corn starch the filling reminds me too much of store-bought pies with that gloopy clear gel-like texture and with all flour it can get too lumpy and stodgy.

The best way to thicken runny apple pie filling before baking it is to add some cornstarch, tapioca starch, or flour to your mix. To fix a runny pie that's already been baked, simply let it cool to see if it will congeal naturally. If not, you can stick it back in the oven for a bit longer.

Cornstarch has thickening power similar to Instant ClearJel. Like flour, it lends a cloudy, semi-transparent look to filling. It can also give filling a starchy taste.

Use our instructions to substitute a single teaspoon of apple pie spice in your recipes. For 1 teaspoon homemade apple pie spice recipe: stir together ½ tsp. ground cinnamon plus ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg, ⅛ tsp.

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed.

When thickening a fruit pie filling, there are several options to consider. Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency.

Should you cook the apples before baking apple pie? You don't have to pre-cook the filling before spooning it into the pie crust, but it's a quick step I recommend. Just 5 minutes on the stove begins the softening process, and also helps the flavors start to mingle.

One of the chief reasons bakers end up with apple soup under the crust is failure to bake their pie long enough. There's almost no such thing as over-baking an apple pie; I've baked apple pies for 2 hours and longer, and they turn out just fine.

Adding too much flour to your pie filling will turn it cloudy and pasty, with a distinctly floury taste. For this reason, flour works best with fruits that are less juicy, and/or are naturally high in pectin-a naturally occurring thickening agent-such as apples and blueberries.

Ingredients like flour, cornstarch, and tapioca help thicken pie fillings and keep them from being a watery mess. Apples don't release as much liquid as berries and therefore need less thickener. Flour and cornstarch both work well in an apple pie.

What can I use instead of lemon juice in apple pie filling? ›

A good substitute for cinnamon in apple pie is the aptly named apple pie spice. This is a good alternative because cinnamon is a key ingredient in apple pie spice. Other good substitutes include nutmeg and allspice (use 1/4 amount).

Substitutes for Allspice include using a combination of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon as well as similar spice blends such as pumpkin pie spice (with some added pepper to achieve the savory notes of allspice) or apple pie spice.

Substitute nutmeg with cinnamon, mace, or allspice. Since it is also found in some spice mixes, these also serve as good alternatives in a pinch: pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice.

Thickening properties: Potato starch has the greatest thickening power of all the common starches and thickens at moderate temperatures. You'll need larger amounts of potato starch, similar to regular flour.

All-purpose flour is an easy substitute for cornstarch; in fact you may see recipes for thickening pie fillings or soups with either. You'll need 2 tablespoons of flour for every 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a recipe.

For my taste, tapioca starch is the best thickener for fruit pies. It sets at a lower temperature than corn starch, has no objectionable flavor like flour and it sets clear, so you can see the color of the fruit better. For stone fruit or berries, I toss in a couple of tablespoons when I macerate the fruit.