About Apple Cakes

 Apples are healthy, delicious, versatile fruits suitable for salads, main dishes and desserts. There is an abundance of recipes for apple cakes available in cookbooks and on the web. The apple is not just for pie.

When making apple cakes it is best to use cooking apples such as McIntosh, Red Rome or Haralson varieties. However feel free to experiment with other varieties, but test these cakes yourself before serving them to guests or offering for bake sales.

Apple coffee cakes, with or without nuts, are wonderful for a breakfast treat, a brunch or even a family dessert. The supplies needed for apple cakes are the same you would need for any cake, except the process will be a lot easier if you have an apple corer.

Decorating apple cakes depends on the kind of cake you choose to make. A light cinnamon sugar glaze works well for apple muffins and pastry.

Szarlotka Recipe (Polish Apple Cake)

Ingredients

340g self raising flour

170g butter, cold and cubed (not margarine, there can be so substitution this time I'm afraid)

130g golden granulated sugar

3 egg yolks (or one large egg if you don't know what to do with the whites)

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 large cooking apples (or 3 little 'uns) peeled, cored and sliced

1 generous tsp cinnamon 

2 tbsp demerara or granulated sugar

How to make

1. Preheat your oven to a low heat 165 degrees Celsius or gas mark 3. Line and grease a 20cm/8" square cake tin with greaseproof paper.

2. In a non-stick saucepan, put the sliced apples in with 150ml cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow to cook gently until the apples become broken down and pulpy.

2. Meanwhile you can make the dough. Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the cold, cubed butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. 

3. Add the sugar and mix in.

4. Add the egg or egg yolks and lemon juice. Bring together into a crumbly dough, kneading very briefly until it comes together. Do not knead it any more than you have to as it will make the cake tough and chewy. If you need to, wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for half an hour until it is easier to work with.

5. Divide the dough in half and roll out one half into a square. Line the bottom of the cake tin with the dough and spread over the top the pulpy apple mixture. 

6. Sprinkle on top of the apple the cinnamon and demerara sugar. Roll out the second half of the dough and lay over the apple layer, covering all parts.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for around 1 hour until slightly risen, golden brown and crispy on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transfering to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar and cutting into squares to serve, or alternatively you can eat this hot with ice cream =)

8. Wrap any leftovers in tin foil when completely cool and keep for up to 2 days at room temperature. 

Source:   Big Cake Belly