Dutch Apple Cake

My hubby enjoys nothing more than a hearty pudding in winter when the cold weather extends its grip upon us. It certainly has been dessert time this week with the amount of snow fall we’ve had. I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a while from Rachel Allen’s Bake. It may not be majestic to look at but the taste of vanilla butter sponge and baked apple slices running through is magical, which certainly makes up for its looks.


This is a slightly adapted the recipe I am posting by adding demerara sugar for sprinkling over the top and also using red eating apples. I thought the demerara sugar would give a nice little crunch to the top of the cake and red apples as I had a few that need using. I do like cake recipes that can double up as a cake or dessert; this has the advantage of leftovers, which can be served in a slice with a steaming cup of tea or coffee- perfection in my book!

I am publishing this post today via scheduled posting as hubby and I are aiming to do some food shopping, weather permitting!

Dutch Apple Cake

Slightly adapted from Bake by Rachel Allen 2008

Ingredients
2 eggs
175g (6 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
75g (3 oz) butter
75ml (2½ fl oz) milk
125g (4½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2¼ tsp baking powder

2 red eating apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tbsp demerara sugar, for sprinkling
2 red eating apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tbsp demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/Gas 6. Line the sides and base of a 20 x 20cm (8 x 8 in) square cake tin with parchment paper. Using an electric whisk, whisk the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until the mixture is thick and mousse-like and the whisk leaves a figure of eight pattern. Melt the butter in a saucepan with the milk, then pour onto the eggs, whisking all the time. Sift in the flour, cinnamon and baking powder and fold carefully into the batter so that there are no lumps of flour. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Arrange the apple slices over the batter. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and bake in the oven for ten minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/Gas 4 and bake for a further 20–25 minutes or until well risen and golden brown. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the tin. Cut into squares and serve warm with lashing of creamy custard.