Tuesday 6 October 2009

Revisiting Vanilla Apple Cake

I love baking new recipes and the excitement that comes as you wait for your new creation to come out of the oven but I also love revisiting recipes that have become firm favourites in my home. I have an abundance of cooking apples as you know from my previous post and whilst browsing for ideas to incorporate my apples I remembered this favourite, Vanilla Apple Cake. It’s the perfect autumnal cake, with its deliciously moist vanilla sponge and chunky apple wedges. We love to savour this rustic looking cake with hot custard or cream but it's also delish on its own to be enjoyed with a nice cup of tea or coffee.


Vanilla Apple Cake

Ingredients
250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
250g/9oz golden caster sugar (or normal caster sugar)
4 eggs, beaten
250g/9oz self-raising flour
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds removed and reserved (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
3 small Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges (or any other type of cooking apple, if not apple of your choice)
2 tbsp Demerara sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a 20cm/8inch springform tin, then line the base with baking paper.

Beat the caster sugar and butter together until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour and vanilla seeds, then beat together quickly to make a smooth batter. Tip into the prepared tin, then lay the apple wedges on top, poking them halfway into the mix. Don’t worry if the apples appear crowded – they’ll shrink as they cook. Sprinkle with the Demerara and cinnamon, then bake for 1 hour 5 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the sponge is risen and golden.

Leave to cool for a few mins, then release the tin and cool the cake completely on a wire rack.

Today I'm adding a pic of my lovely cat Coco. Here she is in one of her favourite places to snuggle and sleep, her Willow's Cat-a-Sphere Cat Bed!

19 comments:

Finla said...

Coco is si comfy in that chair, it make me jealous seeing him there :-)
Apple cake is always a loved cake in our place, especially in this season.

The Curious Cat said...

Hmm this sounds ace - I can imagine it tastes gorgeous! Hello little coco! How cute you are! xxx

Lucie said...

Maria, I tried this out last week!I am working my way through the SSB's that I missed before I blogged. This was so lovely, moist and light. Another one I shall do again and again. Thanks Lucie x

Chele said...

This sounds fantastic, I've been searching for some cooking apple recipes too so will defo give this a try.

The Girl said...

This sounds so lovely. I love cooking with apples.

That cat bed is awesome - Fred and Lily would love one of those, I'll have to let Mum in on them!

Maria♥ said...

Thanks as always for the lovely comments!

Lucie, that's great that your baking your way through S&SB's past bakes.

Rebecca, I can just see Lily and Fred snuggled together in one of these. You can get them at Pets At Home ;o)

Maria
x

Heather said...

I have made your Apple Cake before - it is absolutely scrumptious. What a beautiful little kitty - such silky black fur!

MaryBeth said...

This looks so darn good and yummy....

Karine said...

Your cake sounds moist and delicious! Thanks for sharing. :)

Maria said...

I love all of your apple cakes!

Bimmer said...

I agree that this cake is wonderful and I love to add extra cinnamon. I have made it more than once too, since I baked it with SSB :)

Laila said...

Looks absolutely delicious ..
Laila .. http://lailablogs.com/

Kelly-Jane said...

Lovely cake. Love Coco's bed, just the thing for a gorgeous cat :)

Michael said...

oh I am in love with your blog and the cats!
Check out my recipe blog and tell me what you think:
http://thegodscake.wordpress.com

Michael

Nic said...

The apple cake is perfect for this time of year, looks really good!

Maggie said...

Yet another great looking cake Maria!

Cathie said...

that looks like a great apple recipe, will need to try this one sometime soon.

Pity said...

hola maria! what a lovely cake, it really looks sooo yummy, cant wait to try it, well done! besitos

Karine said...

Your cake sounds delicious! It has great flavors :)