Sunday 8 February 2009

Dutch Apple Cake

I love lazy Sundays like today, having a sleep in and taking a leisurely breakfast to start my day off, while looking through my new slow cooker recipe book. After lusting over a slow cooker for ages, yesterday I decided to take the plunge and buy myself one and I’ve been getting familiar with my new kitchen toy. I also bought The Slow Cooker Cookbook to get me started and chose the Provencal Beef Stew for tonight’s meal. Once I had the beef stew started I then moved onto doing pudding. I’ve had this Dutch Apple Cake recipe book-marked since receiving Bake by Rachel Allen and after seeing this cake propping up on other blogs I couldn’t wait any longer. This cake has a very light and fluffy sponge, with a lovely juiciness from the apple slices and topped with a sugary crust. I will be serving my cake for pudding, alongside hot creamy custard. What could be better than ending a lazy Sunday like this?


Dutch Apple Cake

Makes 12-16 squares


Ingredients
2 Eggs
175g caster sugar, plus 15g extra for sprinkling
½ tsp vanilla extract
85g Butter
75ml Milk
125g plain flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 ¼ tsp Baking powder
2 small (or 1 large) cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
double cream or custard, to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200oC/180oC Fan/Gas Mark 6. Line the sides and base of a 20 x 20cm (8 x 8in) 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 (this will take about 5 minutes). 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. (They will sink to the bottom.) Sprinkle over a tablespoon of sugar and bake in the oven for ten minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180oC/160oC Fan/Gas Mark 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 in the tin. Cut into squares and serve warm with cream or custard.

11 comments:

Reeni said...

Nothing could be better, Maria!! How scrumptious!!

Beth (jamandcream) said...

love my slow cooker - only had it 3 weeks and I've used it loads. Made a chicken curry in it today. The apple cake looks delicious - great way of using them up.

Caroline said...

That cake looks gorgeous and easy enough for me to make too! I'm thinking I really ought to buy 'Bake' - I've wanted to make everything you've posted!

Sara said...

This sounds great, I really don't think you can go wrong with apple cake!

Jo said...

Nothing better than apples in desserts. Love the cake as it generously shows off the helping of apples.

Maria said...

I love apple cakes. This one looks amazing!

Finla said...

I don't have a slow cooker.
The apple cake looks yumm.
Especially delicious for this weather.

Kiezie said...

This looks delicious! I'm glad you jumped in and shared it as well!! Delicious!

Maria♥ said...

Thanks for dropping by and leaving lovely feedback!

The Dutch Apple Cake is definitely a cake I will be making again. My boys absolutely adored it and it didn't last long!

Maria
x

Rosie said...

WOW Maria you baked it and it looks gorgeous!! It does taste good doesn't it with lashings of custard mmmmmm We loved it here when I baked it for the family.

I've had my slow cooker for about 8 yrs now and make pot roasts, stews and the meats so tender...enjoy sweetie your new gadget :0)

Rosie x

Sarah said...

hi Maria... I baked this and it was absolutely delightful! I used plums and pom instead... I've posted it on my blog and also linked back to your post :)