Easy and Delightful Apple Cake

apple cake

I love this cake recipe. Aside from it being from my favourite cookbook author, it’s quick to put together, the ingredients are simple and the result is just great. It’s more like a bunch of delicious cooked apple chunks held together with a bit of moist, rum and vanilla flavoured awesome cake batter. A beginner baker should have no trouble with this, and an experienced baker will appreciate how effortless it is. It’s good the first day, but better the second, third and fourth. This cake is very moist so I just cover it loosely with a tea towel — it’s got a lot of moisture so covering with plastic wrap will encourage mould. (If it lasts that long). This cake is great for afternoon tea, breakfast on the run or for dessert with a dollop of whip cream or ice cream. It will become part of your regular baking recipes, guaranteed.

*Also, I have marked this as “gluten free” – this recipe isn’t but it translates perfectly to a gluten free cake by using the same amount of all-purpose GF flour with 1/2 tsp of xantham gum. I’ve made it many times this way, and it’s awesome.

Apple Cake

from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan (I have also used a regular non-stick 9 inch cake pan with good results) and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.

Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks. (pretty big chunks)

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for five minutes.

Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it’s fully opened, make sure there aren’t any apples stuck to it.) Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.