Sophies Apple Tea Cake With Carmelized Verjuice Syrup Recipe Epicuriouscom

GRANDMOTHER'S APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Generously grease an 8-inch round cake pan (no need to grease if pan is nonstick).
• Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the apples, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the Calvados, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the cinnamon. Set aside until needed.
• Whisk together the yogurt and the remaining sugar in a large bowl, until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Combine the flour and baking soda, then add the oil and eggs, whisking well after each addition. Stir the apple pieces into the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Set on a sturdy baking sheet and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
• Note: The cake is best made several hours before serving, or better yet, the night before.

APPLESAUCE SPICE TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Baking time: 55 minutes
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°. with a rack in the center of the oven. Coat the sides and center tube of the pan with the butter. Toss in the flour and shake the pan to coat the tube surface and sides. Knock out the excess flour. Set aside.
• 2. Place a mesh sieve over a medium mixing bowl and add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Shake the contents into the bowl and set aside.
• 3. Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Stir them briefly with a fork to break them up slightly, then add the dark brown sugar. With the mixer on high speed, beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is very thick, about 6 minutes. Move the beaters around the bowl and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula several times while mixing. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the oil and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture alternately with the applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Fold in the walnuts with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
• 4. Bake for 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack. Remove the pan and let the cake cool completely.
• 5. The baked cake can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week. It may also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled cake securely in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-strength recloseable jumbo-size plastic bag. Label the bag with a waterproof marker and freeze. Defrost the cake, in its wrapping, overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours.

WINTER SPICE CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED APPLE TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with foil; spray foil. Wrap outside of pan with foil.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Sauté apples until almost tender and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Increase heat to high and toss until sugar melts and apples are deep brown, about 4 minutes. Pour apple mixture onto large plate (do not clean skillet).
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 cup sugar and cook until mixture is deep golden brown, stirring often, about 7 minutes (mixture will be grainy). Add cream and vinegar (do not stir). Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer without stirring until most of caramel bits dissolve, about 8 minutes. Uncover and whisk until sauce is slightly thick, deep brown and reduced to generous 1 cup, about 3 minutes longer. Pour caramel sauce into small saucepan.
• Spread 3 tablespoons caramel sauce over bottom of prepared pan. Arrange apple wedges side by side, rounded side down, in caramel in 2 concentric circles. Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into bowl. Beat 6 tablespoons butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl to blend (mixture will be grainy). Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla and 1/4 cup caramel sauce. Beat in half of dry ingredients, then sour cream, then remaining dry ingredients.
• Spoon batter evenly over apples. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes.
• Cut around cake; remove pan sides. Cool cake 15 minutes longer. Place platter atop cake; invert cake onto platter. Remove pan bottom and foil. Replace any dislodged apples. Rewarm remaining caramel sauce. Serve cake warm or at room temperature with sauce.

BROWN-SUGAR SPICE CAKE WITH CREAM AND CARAMELIZED APPLES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour cake pan, knocking out excess flour.
• Make caramelized apples:
• Peel and core apples, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.
• Spread softened butter in an even layer over bottom of a 12-inch heavy skillet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Add apple wedges and cook over moderate heat, without stirring, until sugar is melted and apples start to give off liquid, about 10 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are just tender and juices become syrupy, about 30 minutes more.
• Pour syrup from skillet into a small heatproof bowl, then sauté apples, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and very tender, about 30 minutes more. Return syrup to apples and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
• Make cake while apples cook:
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.
• Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg until combined. Add maple syrup, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, then mix until just incorporated.
• Spread batter in cake pan and bake until cake is golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Make cream just before serving:
• Beat cream with sour cream and sugar using cleaned beaters at high speed until it just holds soft peaks.
• To serve:
• Run a thin knife around edge of pan, then invert cake onto a plate and cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with warm apple mixture and cream.

SPICED-UP APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
• 2. Using a fork, combine flour, baking powder, spices, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine apples, raisins and walnuts; add 3 tablespoons of flour mixture and toss to coat. Set aside.
• 3. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl; cream until the mixture is light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the buttermilk and applesauce.
• 4. Slowly add the remaining flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in reserved fruit-nut mixture. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cake cool, still in the pan, for 1 hour.
• 5. Combine syrup ingredients in a saucepan; heat to a simmer. When sugar dissolves, remove from heat; set aside for 15 minutes.
• 6. Unmold the cake onto a serving platter. Prick it all over with a wooden skewer. Strain the syrup (discarding lemon zest) and brush the cake with the syrup until it has been absorbed. Before serving, dust the top with confectioners' sugar.

CARAMEL APPLE DRIP CAKE WITH CANDIED WALNUTS

Steps:

• Make the cake:
• Position a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden brown and aromatic, 5-8 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lightly coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
• Pulse walnuts and 1/2 cup dry ingredients in a food processor until walnuts are chopped into a fine flour. Transfer chopped walnuts to bowl with remaining dry ingredients. Mix apples and buttermilk in another medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and gradually stream in oil. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with apple mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients; beat until smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth top.
• Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of cakes and invert onto wire rack; remove parchment. Let cool completely.
• Make the candied walnuts:
• Spread granulated sugar in a thin layer in the center of a large dry skillet. Cook over medium heat, mostly undisturbed (it's okay to swirl pan gently to get sugar to melt evenly), until sugar is melted, about 10 minutes. Quickly stir in walnuts and cook, stirring, until coated and melted sugar is chestnut brown, about 1 minute more. Scrape onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread out to cool, separating walnut halves into individual pieces. Transfer half of nuts to a food processor and coarsely chop.
• Make the caramel sauce:
• Bring granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Continue to cook, without stirring, until medium amber in color, about 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat or warm in microwave 45 seconds.
• Remove saucepan with sugar from heat and carefully whisk in cream, stirring from the center outward, until well combined. Stir in butter. Add vanilla and salt and stir to combine. Transfer caramel to a heatproof container and let cool until thickened.
• Assemble cake:
• Spread 1 Tbsp. frosting in the center of a platter. Place 1 cake, domed side down, on platter. Spread 1 1/4 cups frosting evenly over top. Top with 1 cup chopped candied walnuts, reserving whole candied walnuts. Place remaining cake, domed side down, on top. Spread top and sides with 2 cups frosting. Chill 30 minutes to let frosting set.
• Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill at least 30 minutes or up to overnight to let frosting set.
• Place a spoonful of caramel sauce on top of cake near one edge. Using the bottom of the spoon, spread it out, then very gently press a little sauce over the edge. Move spoon around perimeter of cake slightly and repeat to create additional drips, rotating cake as you work and spreading excess sauce across top of cake. When entire cake is covered in drips, add remaining sauce to fully cover top.
• Chill at least 30 minutes to let glaze set. Decorate top and sides of cake with remaining whole walnuts and serve.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be made 3 days ahead; wrap tightly in plastic and chill, or freeze up to 2 weeks. Caramel can be made up to 2 weeks ahead; cover and chill.

SOPHIE'S APPLE TEA CAKE WITH CARMELIZED VERJUICE SYRUP

Steps:

• Method
• Peel and core the apples, then cut them into eighths and put them into a saucepan with 1/4 cup castor sugar and the verjuice. Bring to a boil over a high heat, then gently stir until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat but don't move the pan. Leave the apple in this light syrup for 10 minutes, then drain, reserving the syrup (you should have about 3 fluid ounces).
• Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 22 cm springform tin. To make the cake, cream the butter and castor sugar until pale and thick. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. (If the mixture starts to curdle, add a tablespoon of the measured flour to stablize it.) Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt and add alternately to the egg mixture with the milk and vanilla extract. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
• Arrange the apple on the top in a concentric pattern, pushing the pieces into the batter slightly. Mix 2 teaspoons castor sugar and the ground cassia and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake stand in the tin for at least 10 minutes, then remove the tin carefully.
• While the cake is cooking, make the syrup. Have iced water ready in the sink or a large bowl. Bring the verjuice and castor sugar to a boil in a saucepan and cook until a deep, golden brown. Remove the caramel from the heat and cautiously add the reserved apple cooking syrup - the mixture may spit a little. Stand the saucepan in the iced water immediately to arrest the cooking, then pour into a jug ready to serve.
• To Serve
• To serve, brush the warm cake with the syrup. Put a wedge of warm cake onto each plate (one with a gently lip is best), then ladle over the syrup and offer with a hearty dollop of thick cream.