Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
What would be better than an apple cake accompanied by a salted butter caramel sauce? It’s always good to have a comforting recipe as a back-up when you’re forced to stay home. The texture is soft and dense, and the melting caramel coats the crunchy hazelnuts in a delicious way. Enjoy this cake at home until the weather gets better!
Ingredients list for the dough
For a mold of 10 inches (26 cm):
- 1/2 oz (125g) butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (125g) caster sugar
- 4 egg yolks and whites, separated
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 cups (200g) flour
- 2 teaspoons (7g) baking powder
Topping and garnish:
- 3 apples
- 1/3 cup (60g) caster sugar
- A handful of hazelnuts
Ingredients list for the salted butter caramel sauce
For a large pot:
- 1 1/2 (300g) caster sugar
- Water (just enough to cover the sugar)
- 1 knob of glucose (so that the caramel does not crystallize, you can use honey but it will alter the taste)
- 1 cup (25 cl) hot liquid cream
- 2 3/4 oz (80g) salted butter
- 3 pinch of sea salt
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Instructions for the salted butter caramel sauce:
1. In a heavy saucepan, pour the sugar, glucose and water ( just enough to cover sugar).
2. Mix well and let it melt over a low heat.
3. Meanwhile, heat the cream until it boils. Then put aside.
4. When the caramel reaches a nice amber color remove from heat and add the hot cream. Beware of splashes!
5. Mix with a wooden spatula. If the caramel forms a large block, don’t panic: put the pan over low heat and stir constantly until it dissolves. The cream should not boil or it may thicken the sauce. When the caramel and cream mix is smooth, add the butter and sea salt.
6. Mix well and remove from heat. Pour into a glass jar and leave open as long as the caramel cools. Store in the refrigerator.
Instructions for the dough:
1. Preheat oven to 360°F (180°C).
2. In a bowl, beat butter and sugar until it gets smooth. Break the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Add the yolks to the previous mixture (butter and sugar), then add lemon juice.
3. Beat well. Then add flour and baking powder. Mix until you obtain a smooth paste.
4. Mount egg whites until stiff. Stir into the batter with a spatula.
5. Butter and flour a 10 inches (26cm) cake pan. Pour in the batter in.
Instructions for the filling and finishing:
1. Peel the apples, cut them in half and scoop out the core out.
2. Cut apple halves into thin slices without actually cutting them completely, so they are still stuck together.
3. Dip the apples halves in sugar and press them into the dough a little, sweet part up.
4. Sprinkle with chopped nuts on top.
5. Bake the cake for about 40 minutes.
6. Let it cool before unmolding. Serve with the salted butter caramel sauce.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
(Photo by Tabakovic Amela )
