Abhi’s Leaving Cake: Delicious Magazine’s Apple Caramel Cake

It’s with a bit of sadness that I made this cake because it’s for a leaving present for one of my work colleagues. Abhi has helped me in my social endeavors from getting my blog up and running to sorting out my Twitter account.  I definitely owe her a debt of gratitude or cake of gratitude in this instance.

I spied this cake on the front cover of Delicious Magazine and thought it looked really tasty. It’s perfect for this time of year when apples are at their best and the darker days make you want something comforting. I’ve made a slight tweak of my own by adding a touch of allspice and ginger to make it a touch more festive since it’s almost Christmas.

Ingredients:

For the layers

340g caster sugar

365g softened butter

5 large eggs

385g plain flour

2tsp baking powder

1tsp ground allspice

2tsp ground ginger

applesauce

For the applesauce

4 cox apples – or any variety that cooks down

50g caster sugar

100ml water

For the apple filling

4 eating apples – or any variety that will hold their shape

50g caster sugar

70g unsalted butter

For the caramel

75g unsalted butter

50g soft brown sugar

70g caster sugar

50g golden syrup

230ml double cream

1 tub Greek yogurt for garnish

Instructions:

For the applesauce

1. Peel and core the apples and cut into small pieces.
2. Add the pieces of apple to a medium pan over a medium heat and add the sugar and the water.
3. Cook the apples until soft enough to press into a puree adding water as needed.
4. Once cooked set aside to cool.

For the layers

1. Preheat the oven to 170F.
2. Butter and line three 20cm cake tins – I’ve used two 10inch round tins.
3. Using a mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
5. Add the cooled applesauce to the butter and egg mixture.
6. Add in half of the flour along with the baking powder, ginger and allspice and continue mixing. Add in the rest of the flour and mix until just combined. If there are any bits of unmixed flour fold this in gently using a spatula by hand.
7. Divide the batter between the cake tins and even out with a spatula.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and the edges are pulling away from the tin.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

For the apple filling

1. Peel, core and slice the apples lengthways
2. Heat the butter in a large pan over a medium/high heat and add the apples and sugar.
3. Cook the apples, taking care not to break them up, until they have caramelised.
4. Remove from heat and let cool. 

For the caramel

1. Add all of the ingredients into a small pan and cook over a medium/high heat.
2. Stir the mixture until everything combines and then cook for a further 7 minutes bringing the caramel to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and let cool.

To assemble the cake

1. Dab a small amount of the caramel onto the cake plate or board to prevent the cake from sliding.
2. Place one layer onto the caramel and top with a couple of spoonfuls of Greek yogurt.
3. Place half of the apple filling on top of the yogurt and spoon on the caramel sauce.  Repeat if making three layers.
4. Place the top layer on top of the filling and top with the apple filling and drizzle the remaining caramel over the cake letting it ooze down the sides.
5. Let the cake rest for at least an hour before serving for easier cutting.

You can make the applesauce, apple filling and caramel the day before if you are short of time. Also, you could replace the Greek yogurt with sweetened Mascarpone cheese and use salted caramel instead.