Topping:

• 2 large firm tart apples, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick slices
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 T. sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ cup fine chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• 3 T. cold salted butter, cut into small cubes (plus more to grease the pan)

Cake:

• 7 T. salted butter at room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• Preheat oven: 350
• Grease baking pan, 9×9

In bowl: toss apple slices with ½ tsp cinnamon and 1 T. sugar, set aside.

In bowl: add 1 tsp. cinnamon, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, and pecans, add the cold butter over mixture and cut in with pastry cutter or forks, work into pea size pieces and put in refrigerator until ready to use

Cake:

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, 5-8 minutes

In separate bowl: whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt

In another bowl: whisk together the buttermilk and egg

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix together and add half of the buttermilk/egg mixture and mix again. Repeat adding another 1/3 of the flour mixture and remaining buttermilk/egg mixture and mix, then add the remaining flour mixture, stir until just combined.

Spread batter into the baking pan (batter will be thick)

Lay apple slices (overlapping slices) over the batter

Sprinkle the crumble topping over all

Bake until the top is golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-45 minutes

Cool on rack a little and serve warm