Winter Spice Cake With Caramelized Apple Topping Recipes

FRESH APPLE CAKE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in apples and walnuts. , Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. , Meanwhile, for caramel sauce, combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve cake warm or cold with warm caramel 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.

CARAMELISED APPLE CAKE WITH STREUSEL TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp sugar in a large frying pan over medium heat until the sugar starts to melt. Add apples, then cook for about 5 mins, until nicely browned and the sauce is a rich caramel. Leave to cool.
• While the apples cool, make the topping. In a food processor or using the tips of your fingers, rub together flour, 85g sugar, cinnamon and cold butter until the mixture is crumbly and only pea-size pieces of butter remain. Stir in 2 tbsp of hazelnuts. Set aside in a cool place.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To make the cake, place the remaining butter and sugar in a bowl or food mixer and beat until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and milk in two goes, alternating between dry and wet ingredients. When the mixture is well combined, stir through the apples.
• Grease a 20cm cake tin with removable base and line the base with a circle of baking paper. Spoon in the cake mixture, smooth over the top with a spoon, then sprinkle over the streusel topping. Scatter with the remaining 1 tbsp demerara sugar and hazelnuts. Cook in the oven for 50 mins-1 hr or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a baking rack, remove paper and cool.