cake helps

i always feel a little sad when our apple season ends..

i also feel so grateful for another wonderful harvest, 

delighted to see so many familiar faces

and to meet so many new guests! thank you. 

our spring, summer and fall are quite busy and intense and 

i welcome a slower pace. 

 we have an extensive to-do list on the farm..

 it will keep us busy for the next month. 

my personal to-do list is also extensive. 

healing a broken heart is the first thing on my list.  

cake helps..

 adapted from a british recipe, 

this is a lovely apple cake with salted caramel apples.

salted caramel sauce is always a good thing,

and the cake is full of cozy autumn spices, applesauce, apples and chestnuts.

pretty comforting. 

apple cake with salted caramel apples

you will need..

for the cake..

6 idared apples peeled, cored and roughly chopped

250g dark brown sugar

225g salted butter, softened

375g self rising flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 eggs, beaten

100g cooked chestnuts (1 bag) chopped 

1 more idared apple, cored and diced

for the buttercream icing..

75g salted butter, softened

75g apple purée  (it’s part of the cake recipe, using the 6 apples)

300g icing sugar

for the salted caramel sauce..

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup heavy cream 35%

1/2 teaspoon salt 

for the caramel apples.. 

3 or 4 small empire apples, skewered with twigs 

a baking tray lined with parchment paper

the cake

preheat oven to 350°f or 320°f  for a convection oven. 

place the 6 chopped apples in a heavy pot with a lid and gently cook until the apples are soft.

mash the apples to a coarse purée. let this cool. 

measure 300g for the cake and set aside 75g for the icing. you will have some left over.. perfect for tomorrow’s breakfast! overnight oats? yoghurt?

line the bottom of  2 18cm spring form cake pans with parchment. butter the sides. 

sieve the brown sugar into a large mixing bowl.

add the butter, eggs, chestnuts and cooled apple puree, and mix well. 

add the flour, baking powder, and spices. beat together until just mixed. 

fold in the diced apple. 

divide the batter into the 2 cake pans.

bake for 25 ish minutes.. until golden brown.

let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in their pans, then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool. 

place in the fridge to chill.. 30 ish  minutes. 

the buttercream icing

beat the butter, 75g of apple purée and icing sugar until creamy.  chill this until it's thick enough to spread. 

cut off the rounded tops of the cakes.

using about 1/3 of the buttercream icing, sandwich the cakes together.

with an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of the buttercream over the sides.. allowing the cake to show through. 

spread a layer on the top.

tuck this in the fridge again while you make the caramel sauce. 

the salted caramel sauce

place 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan and over medium high heat, and stirring constantly, melt the sugar. once the sugar has melted, add another 1/2 cup. 

continue to caramelize the sugar.. 1/2 cup at a time, and constantly stirring until all the sugar has been added and the caramel is a lovely deep golden colour.

reduce the heat to medium and slowly add the cream.. being careful because it will bubble and steam. 

add the salt and continue to cook until all the sugar bits are dissolved and the caramel sauce is smooth and has come to a boil. 

remove from the heat. 

the caramel apples 

dip the apples into the hot caramel sauce, and place on a parchment lined tray to set.

finishing touches on the cake 

let the caramel cool until it's close to room temperature.  

spoon the cooled caramel sauce on the edge of the cake to allow for drips, then pour the caramel sauce over the top and spread with an offset spatula. 

you may have to play with the temperature a little.

do a couple of test drips on the cake’s edge to see how fast the caramel will drip. on my cake, the drips were very thick, but eventually pooled at the bottom of the platter.

i did take the photos in a misty rain.. which may have contributed to the texture.

set the caramel apples in the centre. 

that’s it.

call a dear friend and put the kettle on. enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake together.  

still loving autumn’s colours here.. and cherishing these warm days. 

thank you again for visiting us.

be well,

laura

i  just came across this quote..

‘the only thing more important than your to-do list is your to-be list.

the only thing more important than your to-be list is to be.’

alan hosen

lets be.. and eat cake. 

carl laidlaw orchards