Monday, August 11, 2008

Dorset apple cake

Dorset apple cake

May I start by “saying” that you, my fellow food bloggers and readers, are fantastic? Thank you for all the poppy seed offers and also for the best wishes for my new home! You have put a huge smile on this exhausted girl’s face. :)

I still have things to unpack, but at least now the place looks like a home, and not a warehouse. :)

I haven’t baked in my new kitchen yet and the only cooking I did was a quick spaghetti for lunch yesterday – Joao and I couldn’t stand sandwiches anymore. Luckily, I have a couple of recipes to post while I organize my house.

This cake was a hit – I shared it with a number of people and everyone loved it. It was moist and tender. I was a bit worried when the center of the cake sank, but Joao saw the original recipe and said that it looked like the one on the photo had sunk, too. I decided not to be so hard on myself and believe my husband’s opinion – even though boiling water is the only thing he can do in the kitchen. :)

Dorset apple cake

Dorset apple cake
from Delicious magazine

225g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
450g Granny Smith apples
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
225g caster sugar, plus extra for dredging
3 large eggs
225g self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
25g ground almonds
1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/355ºF. Grease a deep 25cm springform cake pan – I used one with removable bottom - and line the bottom with baking paper.

Peel, core and cut the apples into 1cm pieces, and toss with the lemon juice.
Using an electric hand whisk or stand in mixer, cream together the butter, caster sugar and lemon zest in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, adding a little flour with each addition to keep the mixture smooth.
Sift the remaining flour and the baking powder into the bowl and fold in with the ground almonds. Drain the apple pieces well, then stir into the mixture.
Spoon into the prepared cake pan, lightly level the top and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until well-risen, brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the cake starts to look a little too brown, cover with a sheet of baking paper after about 45 minutes.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the tin and place on a serving plate. Dredge heavily with the extra caster sugar. Cut the cake into generous wedges and serve warm with a spoonful of clotted cream, if you like – I served it with thick yogurt.

Serves 8

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

That cake sounds wonderful and I love the idea of serving it with yogurt.

Glad to hear you're safely settled in your new place. I'm sure you're happy to have the move behind you.

Deborah said...

You can't tell from the photo that the middle sank! It looks beautiful and delicious.

Have fun unpacking and organizing!

Anonymous said...

Your cake looks delicious! And happy new home, too! I love organizing a new kitchen... almost as much as I love organizing a new purse. :-)

Anonymous said...

This looks lovely and congratulations on your new home! Somehow I missed the eggplant post.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

I was thinking Wow, you are baking in your new kitchen already??? But no, take your time, get your new kitchen organized -- and then show us some photos, please!

Helene said...

I can't see any sunkage from my end, just a delicious looking apple cake! Love the addition of almonds. Welcome to your new home!

Manggy said...

Gosh, all this moving and you still found time for baking?! Silly girl ;) Well, at least it gives us these treats! I've never made a *good* apple cake before, this looks like it could fit the bill!

Anonymous said...

hmmm..hmmm...perfect for tea time!

Elle said...

Congrats on your new home...soon you'll be in the kitchen having fun.
This cake is perfect now that the apples are starting to ripen here. I see a tea party in my future with this lovely cake being served :)

Toni said...

I've been away for a while, so I missed the move. Congratulations, Patricia! Can't wait to see some photos of your new kitchen.

The cake looks terrific - and Granny Smith's are my favorite!

Peabody said...

A good looking cake you've got there. So glad you are settling in well to your new place.

Stella said...

Congratulations for your new home!! May it be filled with love, joy & good food!

I'm amazed that you've started baking already, I wish you were my new neighbour!

Jeanne said...

This cake looks glorious - not too fussy and not too sweet. And the other bonus is that it will be a cold day in Hell that I don't have any Granny Smith apples in ths house - so the ingredients should be on hand ;-)

Mary Coleman said...

Oh this looks so so good! I'm in the mood for apples too, can't wait to try this. Glad the move went as smoothly as possible!

Elly said...

This cake looks and sounds wonderful! I have just bookmarked it and hope I get around to it soon. Glad to hear the move went smoothly. Enjoy your new home!

Alexa said...

I love applecakes. This one looks great. Congrats on your new home!

Cynthia said...

Oh you're tempting me again to make another of your tasty creations.

Moving is always stressful isn't it...

Annette Tan said...

Congrats on your new home Patricia. That looks like just the kind of cake my better half loves too!

Anonymous said...

Oh how yummy. Would a thick yogurt be like the Greek brands that seem to be thicker?

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Delicious looking cake. I can't tell it sank at all. Have fun getting your new home just how you want it.

Anonymous said...

Looks delicious! I love simple cakes like this. Also, congrats on the new home!

PG said...

Congratulations on the new house! I can't wait to get into a new (larger) kitchen.

Selfhuggingjack said...

I think cakes sinking must have something to do with apples, maybe the water content in them as I made cupcakes with apple slices on top at the weekend, though they were massive when straight out the oven then soon flattened out a bit.
This looked lovely though, I think I'll make my own one with the apples I have left.

steph- whisk/spoon said...

i have changed apartments three times in the last year and a half, so i know how stressfull moving can be. but also how wonderful it feels to be unpacked and set up! i love simple cakes like this...perfect with tea or coffee. looks great!

Anonymous said...

I have a whole lot of apples to use and this sounds perfect! It looks wonderful as always! :)

Anonymous said...

It's a beautiful cake, sunken or not.

Hope you can break in your new kitchen soon with more delicious treats!

Happee Monkee said...

Oh my, I love this. I've got a soft spot for cakes with fruits (but not necessarily fruit cakes :P)
I love to try this sometime.

And congrats for the new place. Time to use that spanking new kitchen!

Mable
mabletan.com

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear you're settling in.
Some cakes are meant to sink in, and by the look of it this one was too. I love the way it looks!

Lot-O-Choc said...

Mm wow this sounds gorgeous.
Yum!

ChichaJo said...

Sunken center or no that cake looks and sounds lovely! I would be up for seconds in an instant!

The grilled eggplant with cheese below also looks like a winner and I'll be earmarking it for a quick dinner one of these days!

Hope you are settling in well! :)

KJ said...

Apple cakes are just the best. This is a beautiful example.

Emily said...

Look how beautifully golden it is! I don't think I've ever made an apple cake.

I think setting up your new home should be fun. Good luck! You should take some pictures of your decorating.

Nic said...

Delish cake, bet you can't wait to cook up a storm in your new kitchen!

Lynne Daley said...

I have friends in Dorset and I've had this cake many times. Yours looks so good.

LyB said...

Granny Smith apples, lemon zest and almonds sound so good together, what a great cake. I can't wait to see what you cook up in your new kitchen. Have fun!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Julie, my dear, I am glad that now things are getting back on track. :)

Deb, I'm almost done! :)

Ann, and my new kitchen is bigger than the other one, yay! :)

Michelle, don't worry, darling!
Thank you!

Lydia, I will! I want to take part in the "other people's pantries" soon. :)

Helen, thank you, darling! The almond flour is not much here, but it adds a nice touch.

Mark, I baked the cake before the whole mess started. :)

Eliza, you're back, sweetie! xoxo

Elle, I have a birthday cake to bake on the weekend, can you believe it?? :)

Toni, I hope you enjoyed your trip, dear!

Pea, I am - and my sister's birthday is just around the corner. A cake to bake!

Stella, thank you, darling! I baked this cake before the moving.

Jeanne, I always have them around too - love munching on them!

Mary, thank you! Things are calmer now. :)

Elly, I hope you try it!
Thank you, sweetie!

Alexa, thank you!

Cynthia, it is - and those guys walking around carrying our things in boxes... A vision from hell. :S

Annette, thank you for stopping by!

Cathy, we don't have Greek yogurt here, so I drained some regular yogurt to get it thick. You can use the real deal! :)

Lynn, I will! Tks, darling!

Candace, thank you!

Psychgrad, thank you! Mine is larger now, and that makes me so glad. :)

Selfhuggingjack, tks for stopping by! I tbink you've got a point there - they are kind of heavy, right?
I hope you like it!

Steph, I still have some boxes to open... :S
Wish me luck! :)
xx

Lorraine, I'd love to hear your opinion about it!

Hannah, I will! On the weekend! :)

Mable, we are the same - not fruit cakes for me, tks very much! :)
Thank you for your words!

Linda, thank you, darling!

Natalie, thank you for your visit!

Joey, let me know how you like it!

KJ, thank you! I love baking with apples, too.

Emiline, you are so sweet, tks, darling!
I will take photos!

Nic, you are sooo right. :)

Lynne, I'm glad to hear that from an expert like you! ;)

LyB, I have been bookmarking recipes like a crazy person. ;)
Tks, darling!

Anonymous said...

Simply lovely.
I hope you enjoy many more cakes in your new kitchen!

MrsMarv said...

Wow, that looks really yummy. Might even make me a cake convert.

eatme_delicious said...

Mmm that cake looks delicious! Nothing wrong with it.

Nora B. said...

hi Patricia,
All the best with the unpacking, maybe do it bit by bit so that it won't be too overwhelming.

I love all forms of apple cakes and this recipe made me curious because Dorset (UK) is where my nephew's grandparents live. I wonder if the recipe really originated from there.

The cake looks really moist and yumm! Who cares about the sinking ;-)

x Nora

Jaime said...

i love apples! this looks great and you can't even tell that it's sunken in the middle!

lululu said...

I really can see it's sinking. It just looks delicious. I really want a piece!

Dragon said...

Yogurt is a great idea for a topping. Wonderful!

Maggie said...

I found it fascinating that someone outside of the UK would make Dorset apple cake.
We have always loved this cake.
It looks delicious.

Susan @ SGCC said...

Congratulations on your move! Sorry that it's taken me this long to say it. Summer really has thrown me off my schedule!

The apple cake looks and sounds just wonderful! The perfect thing to enjoy with good friends and good coffee!

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous and refreshing looking cake! Beautiful photo.
I'm glad you made it to your new home :)

Related Posts with Thumbnails