Hello Bakers,
It is hard to believe it is September! I have been working so much developing the pastry case at work and teaching that I hadn't even noticed. It was the display of apples at Whole Foods DTLA that made me realize that Summer was over.
And now it is Labor Day weekend (#grateful) and I have a chance to write this post and connect with you.
Today's recipe is Tango Apple Cake. This is an easy one to put together. Bakers, I know that you are busy and that a great effortless recipe might be more appealing then a showstopper recipe at this point.
Not that I don't love a good showstopper, multi components, stand on your head recipe but let's save those for the holidays when we all have a bit more time.
This cake is really yummy and I wish you smell how great the kitchen smells after baking this. The caramel icing is a bit old fashioned (it is made on the stove) and so delicious. It has coffee in the recipe (which adds richness and depth but not strong coffee flavor).
I used Tango apples because they are a variety that I have not used before - I used two in the cake and made applesauce with the rest, yes that was yummy. The tango is a nice all purpose apple - good for eating out of hand too. You can also use granny smith, golden delicious, gala and macintosh.
Fuji and Red delicious I tend to avoid for baking they are a better eating apple or served raw in a salad.
Please try this out and let me know what you think. I am so happy to finally send you a new recipe. I promise to send more soon.
Let me know if you have questions.
Happy Baking!
Colette
Apple Cake with Caramel Icing
Equipment:
Stand or Hand Held Mixer
Sifter
Spatula
Grater
9” Cake pan – SPS spray (or brush with pan spread) parchment paper circle, spray or brush with spread
ingredients
4 ounces (113g) unsalted butter, cubed and slightly softened
7 ounces (198g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
6.75 ounces (191g) All purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons Dutch process cocoa
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
4 ounces cold coffee
2 apples, peeled and grated.
4 ounces (113g) toasted, chopped walnuts
1. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg set aside.
2. In the mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy – about 6-8 minutes at medium speed.
3. Add the eggs mixing on low speed for 20 seconds and then medium speed for 25 seconds until the eggs are well combined and the mixture looks dull.
4. Next add 1/3rd of the sifted dry ingredients, mix on low speed just until combined. Add half the coffee then another 1/3rd of the dry ingredients, finish with the remaining coffee and dry ingredients.
Second increment of coffee is added
5. Fold in the apples and walnuts on low speed just until combined.
Apples and walnuts ready to mix in.
6. Spread batter in prepared pan.
7. Bake at 350. Check in 30 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. My cake took about 42 minutes - after the 30 minute intital check, I continued baking in 6 minute intervals, turning the oven down to 325 to prevent over browning.
Finished baking - note how it should pull away slightly from the edge of the cake pan.
8. Let cool on a rack.
When the cake is cool, prepare the Caramel icing
Caramel icing
Equipment:
Medium saucepan
Whisk
Heatproof spatula
Ingredients
2 ounces (57g) butter
3.75 ounces (106g) brown sugar
2 Tablespoons (30g)milk
6 ounces (170g) sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.(I used Amoretti vanilla bean paste) regular vanilla extract is fine too.
Caramel icing mise en place
1. Melt butter in the saucepan, add brown sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes.
Butter and brown sugar - cook two minutes on medium/low heat
2. Add milk and bring to a boil, remove from heat.
Milk has been added and it does thin out.
3. Add sifted powdered sugar and whisk until smooth and creamy.
Adding the powdered sugar is scary at first but just keep whisking.
4. Add vanilla.
Finished icing.
Thin with milk if necessary. Because of the cornstarch in the powdered sugar, the icing may develop a crust to prevent this make sure to keep it covered and rewhisk befoe using.
Let cool slightly before icing the cake.
Finishing:
Cake and Icing ready to go. notice the parchment strips tucked under the cake (about 1" from the edge) to protect the serving plate.
Spread icing on cake with an offset spatula - this is simple decorating and should be done quickly.