Chunky apple and orange cake

I haven’t baked or cooked much lately, but I do go grocery shopping and the price of food has been freaking me out: everything gets more and more expensive on a daily basis. It is really sad and I feel privileged for not having to make any drastic changes, but I do admit that I think twice before buying certain things. Granny Smith apples, for instance, that I love so much – it was the only apple I would eat when I was little, my mom thought it was funny that a kid would like such a tart apple – are insanely expensive, and have been for quite a while, now. Still, my husband bought a handful of them for me and after devouring a couple of them I knew I had to make the remaining apples proud – I could not waste something so precious.

I went on and used the apples on a cake, a delicious cake perfumed with orange zest – the original recipe paired apples and cinnamon, which is a very classic combo of flavors, but I though the citrus touch would be a nice idea and indeed, it was. I am sure this cake would be fabulous with lemon or lime zest as well.

Chunky apple and orange cake
slightly adapted from this book

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 tablespoon all purpose flour, for dusting the apples
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
grated zest of 1 large orange
1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 large eggs, beaten with a fork
75g unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon whole milk, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 20cm (8in) round cake pan, line the bottom with a circle of baking paper and butter it as well.

In a medium bowl, dust the apples with the 1 tablespoon flour and set aside.

In a large bowl, place sugar and orange zest and rub together with your fingertips until sugar is fragrant. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into the sugar and mix to combine. Add the eggs, butter and vanilla to the mix and using an electric hand whisk, combine them for about 1 minute until you have a smooth creamy consistency. Fold in the apples and the milk. Transfer batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden and risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then carefully unmold onto a wire rack, peel off the paper and cool completely before serving.

Serves 8-10