Apple Cake

This is one of my favourite cakes. It is very easy to make - basically just butter cake with apple on top but the results is S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G! It can be for a casual afternoon tea with friends and family or even as a stunning dessert when you want to impress.As all fruit cake (and chocolate cake) it is best to be baked the day before and leave to cool completely - you will not believe how lovelier it taste the next day. The tempatations from the aroma is irresistable (RESIST! IT IS WORTH IT!!!) - when the flavours from the apple and cinnamon have immersed into the cake base. Tip: While waiting, repeat the (improvised) Nietzsche mantra "What didn't kill me will make me happier errrr stronger errr it yummier tomorrow."It is a great cake to make this time of the year - I associate it with autumn and winter - be enjoyed with witty banters, laughter and music! It will lift your spirit up and make you feel spring is at your doorstep.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

A

2 cups of Granny Smith or Jonagold apples - sliced

1 cup of raisin (if you like) - soaked in orange juice or rum

1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon

2 TBsp brown sugarJuice from half a lemon

a little butter

B

250g butter

250g castor sugar

250g self raising flour

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

zest of one lemon

C

1 tub (250ml) Whipped cream or Creme Fraiche

1 packet of vanilla sugar

juice from half a lemon

lemon zest

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F) or Gas Mark 4.

2. Mix all of ingredient A together

3. Heat a bit of butter in the pan and lightly saute ingredient A till the apples soften and leave to cool.

4. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl and add eggs one by one.

5. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest. Mix.

6. Fold in the flour carefully.

7. Place the dough in a buttered tin and arrange the apples on top like this:

8. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the skewer when inserted, came out clean.

To serve:

1.Cut in large squares by itself for tea or coffee.

or

2.Mix ingerient C together and piped on top of the cake to make it an apple pie

or

3.if you prefer a dollop of Creme Fraiche (which I do - very chi chi!) serve on the side as little quenellesor4.warm it up a little (like apple pie) and serve with vanilla ice cream or haagen dazs macadaemia nuts ice cream.

KISS OF BOUNTY

I have been trying to duplicate the taste of Bounty in a cake for ages. I tried with Marble Cake, with simple coconut butter cake, devil's foodcake, chocolate spongecake with chocolate and coconut frosting but nothing came close.I wonder if it was the snowstorm we had earlier this afternoon or it was just coming all the recipes on Clotilde's" site which struck me to do this but this afternoon, I read this recipe and just gave it a little twist and there it is my very own Bountycake!The result is a very rich, dense, moist rum-coconut-chocolate cake that transports you to that time when you discovered Bounty for the first time. Yes, the time when you're sent to a summercamp at the age of 15. When a gypsy told you it is the year that will change your life forever. The time of your life when you discovered what crushes really are. And how your heart can break. And what kissing is all about and the time when you lose your innocence. When that boy told you to close your eyes and kiss you and tell you, "You smell of coconut and chocolate. You taste like heaven."
Ingredients:
-100g unsweetened flaked coconut (1 cup)
- 150 g bittersweet chocolate - broken and melted in a bain marie
- 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
- 200 g flour
- a bag of baking powder (1 1/2 tsp)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 125 g butter, at room temperature
- 200 g dark muscovado sugar
- 3 eggs
- 250g plain yoghurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 TBsp rum (optional)
Frosting:
200g bittersweet chocolate
100g single cream
a packet of hazelnut - toasted
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F) or Gas Mark 4.
2. Grease a 10 inch cake pan, preferably nonstick with a removable bottom.
3. Spread the coconut out on a cookie sheet, and insert it in the warm oven. Let it toast for about 5 minutes, tossing half way through, until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from the oven (leave the oven on) and let cool. Toast the hazelnut and remove.
4. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
5. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each.
7. Add the yogurt, vanilla extract and rum, mix again.
8. Add the melted chocolate.
9. Fold in the flour mix.
10. Fold coconut flakes with a spatula.
11. Pour the cake batter in the cake pan, and bake for fifty minutes to an hour, until the top is set and a satay stick inserted in the center comes out clean.
12. Let cool in the pan for ten minutes, then turn out on a rack.
Frosting:
1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water.
2. Add heated cream and whisk until glossy.
3. Pour the ganache onto the cool cake and decorate with hazelnut.
The cake taste even better the next day. Bon apetite!