Every time I go to France I have to make apple cake. I love apples. I used to live by apple season but in Hong Kong and Dubai we don't get good fresh first season apples and I'm so very particular when it comes to apples so I don't eat them. Unless I'm in Europe in apple season that is.
But that's a beside. My love of apple cake came from my LOVE of Nana's apple shortcake. She made the MOST DIVINE apple shortcake imaginable and served it with condensed milk custard from a brown pottery jug. I remember that jug so well, it's like I saw it yesterday. When we went to nana and grandad's and I saw the brown jug I knew I was in for some condensed milk custard and if I was lucky some apple shortcake. My nana knew us pretty well and therefore she knocked up the shortcake on a regular basis. I ate it until I felt sick if I was allowed seconds. Nana would serve me up secret second helpings sometimes.
Anyway this is a French apple cake recipe. It has a fairly hefty dose of brandy in it which gives it a warm spice background, along with vanilla and lots and lots of roughly chopped (4 very large) firm apples. I used Jonagolds. They were fresh in season when we were in France and they remained firm when cooked which is essential for a cake like this otherwise you'll have a cake of mush.
Keep the skins on. Very important. Looks good, tastes good and it's just a waste of time to peel them.
Recipe for my reference. This is easy peasy :
150 gms flour
1tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
4 large apples
4-5 Tbsp brandy or calvados
1 vanilla pod (can leave this out if using vanilla sugar as I did)
100 gms sugar
3 eggs
50 gms butter
A dash of whole milk
Extra vanilla sugar for topping
Preheat the oven to 175C. Prepare a springform tin and line with parchment. Melt the butter. Beat the eggs until foamy and add the sugar, beat. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, melted butter and enough milk to form a batter. Mix until just incorporated. Fold through the apple. Pop into the tin. Top with plenty of vanilla sugar. Bake for about 50 mins. Cool on a rack.
But that's a beside. My love of apple cake came from my LOVE of Nana's apple shortcake. She made the MOST DIVINE apple shortcake imaginable and served it with condensed milk custard from a brown pottery jug. I remember that jug so well, it's like I saw it yesterday. When we went to nana and grandad's and I saw the brown jug I knew I was in for some condensed milk custard and if I was lucky some apple shortcake. My nana knew us pretty well and therefore she knocked up the shortcake on a regular basis. I ate it until I felt sick if I was allowed seconds. Nana would serve me up secret second helpings sometimes.
Anyway this is a French apple cake recipe. It has a fairly hefty dose of brandy in it which gives it a warm spice background, along with vanilla and lots and lots of roughly chopped (4 very large) firm apples. I used Jonagolds. They were fresh in season when we were in France and they remained firm when cooked which is essential for a cake like this otherwise you'll have a cake of mush.
Keep the skins on. Very important. Looks good, tastes good and it's just a waste of time to peel them.
Recipe for my reference. This is easy peasy :
150 gms flour
1tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
4 large apples
4-5 Tbsp brandy or calvados
1 vanilla pod (can leave this out if using vanilla sugar as I did)
100 gms sugar
3 eggs
50 gms butter
A dash of whole milk
Extra vanilla sugar for topping
Preheat the oven to 175C. Prepare a springform tin and line with parchment. Melt the butter. Beat the eggs until foamy and add the sugar, beat. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, melted butter and enough milk to form a batter. Mix until just incorporated. Fold through the apple. Pop into the tin. Top with plenty of vanilla sugar. Bake for about 50 mins. Cool on a rack.
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