by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor
Hey Fellow Bakers,
It’s been 6 months since I moved back to New York and I don’t bake like I use to because I don’t have my Kitchen Aid mixer and food processor. (All in storage in CA). Plus, I don’t have Curtis as my professional taste tester.
I admit cooking and baking is a therapeutic escape for me. The challenge for me is to find recipes that I can use my mom’s 30-year-old, 3 speed Toastmaster hand mixer. I kept thinking the mixer is going to explode when its crank on high.
I found this recipe called the Invisible Apple Cake. You use thinly sliced apples combined with a custard base for an apple filled cake. The recipe is called invisible because the thinly sliced apples seem to melt into the cake. It was delicious.
NOTES – I didn’t have a 8″ spring foam pan or parchment paper. I used a round pan and oiled up the bottom and sides. I didn’t have a mandolin either, so I used my sharp knife skills to slice the apples thinly. Everything worked out fine.
Thumbs Up from Taste Tester Mom.
Bon Appetite – Julia Child and Karen Soo shares the same birthday.
Ingredients
- 6 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled *see Note 1
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, or can substitute white granulated sugar if brown sugar is unavailable
- 1 tsp vanilla, or vanilla bean paste
- 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, salted or unsalted
- 6 1/2 Tbsp milk, whole (3%) or 2% recommended
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
1. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 F. (regular bake/not fan assisted) **If your springform pan is prone to leaking (they often warp and don’t form a tight seal) or if you just want to make sure there is no leaking of the thin batter, wrap the outside, bottom of the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
2. Before you start the batter, melt the butter in saucepan or microwaveable bowl just until melted and set aside to cool while you start the batter.
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla until very light and fluffy ,about 3 minutes. (**Make sure the melted butter is not hot when added to the batter or it will cook the eggs and make a lumpy batter! If you feel the butter is still too warm, mix it with the cold milk to cool it further, then add to the batter.) Add the cooled, melted butter and the milk to the egg mixture and mix well to combine.
4. Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, then sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg mixture. Mix just until combined.
5. Quarter the peeled apples and remove the core. Use a mandolin to slice each apple quarter into thin slices. Add the apple slices to the batter as you go regularly (don’t wait until you’ve done them all or they will start to brown. Push the apples into the batter so they are covered). Reserve the last handful of apple slices to scatter on top of the batter.
6. Gently stir the apples in the batter to ensure all apples are well coated. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared springform pan and then scatter the reserved apple slices randomly over-top. *Adjust any apples that may be sticking up into a someone flat surface, as apples sticking up higher have a tendency to over-brown.
7. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet (in case of leaks) and bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until set. If desired, you can turn on the broiler for a minute to brown up the top of the cake.
8. Remove cake from oven and leave in the pan to cool. Run knife around edges and remove outer springform pan ring. Enjoy right away, or cover and refrigerate to enjoy later. You can serve cold from the fridge or let it come to room temperature before serving. You can also re-warm slightly in the microwave, if you like.
9. Enjoy slightly warm, at room temperature or cold from the fridge dusted with icing sugar, if you like, or add a dollop of creme fraiche, whipped cream or ice cream on top.
https://www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/invisible-apple-cake/
