Caramelised Apple Sponge Cake with Pecan Streusel
User Reviews
5.0
159 reviews
Excellent
Caramelised Apple Sponge Cake with Pecan Streusel
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This caramelised apple sponge cake recipe with streusel topping truly reigns as the king of all apple cakes. We've put a wonderful spin on the classic German apple cake, Apfelstreuselkuchen. This isn't your average apple sponge cake though, it's moist, rich and full of flavour and warmth. A true gem.
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Ingredients
For the caramelised apples
- 1 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 400 grams diced eating apples equates to roughly four eating apples, like Pink Lady
For the streusel topping
- 75 grams all-purpose flour
- 75 grams dark brown sugar
- 75 grams cold butter salted or unsalted, sliced into cubes
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons chopped pecan nuts
For the apple sponge
- 100 grams butter Salted or unsalted. If using salted butter, omit the half teaspoon salt in the recipe
- 180 grams dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt only use if using unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 100 millilitre milk at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons sultanas and a small amount of boiled water to soak them in
Sprinkle
- 1 tablespoon demerara sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecan nuts
Instructions
Prepping
- Begin by putting the sultanas in a small bowl. Pour enough freshly boiled water over to cover them completely. Set aside until needed.
- Line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking paper and lightly butter the sides.
Caramelising the apples
- Add the butter and dark brown sugar to a large frying pan.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat until the butter is fully melted and the sugar begins to dissolve, which should take approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add the diced apples and stir until all the apples are fully covered in the sauce.
- Still on medium heat, cook the apples for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they become lightly browned and the sauce transforms into a rich caramel.
- Remove the apples from the heat and leave to cool.
Making the streusel
- Add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cold, cubed butter and cinnamon to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse until the mixture is crumbly. A few pea-sized pieces of butter are perfectly fine.
- Transfer the streusel mixture to a bowl and stir through the chopped pecan nuts. Set aside until needed.
Making the apple sponge
- Preheat the oven to 170C/338F/gas mark 3.
- Add the brown sugar and softened butter to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Beat the butter and sugar for a minimum of 5 minutes until very light and creamy.
- Add the first egg and vanilla extract, then beat on medium-low speed until mostly combined. Follow with the second egg and beat again until well incorporated.
- Add half of the all-purpose flour along with all the baking powder, salt (if using), ground cinnamon, mixed spice, ground ginger and ground nutmeg to the butter and sugar mixture.
- Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the mixture until they are mostly combined.
- Add half of the milk and gently fold it in until mostly combined. Then, add the second half of the flour, fold it in and follow with the second half of the milk.
- Continue folding very gently until everything has been fully incorporated.
- Drain the water from the sultanas and gently squeeze them to remove excess moisture.
- Add the caramelised apples and sultanas to the cake batter.
- Gently fold them together until well combined.
- Spoon the cake batter into the prepared baking tin and level the top.
- Sprinkle the streusel crumbs evenly over the cake, making sure they cover the entire surface evenly.
Add the sprinkle
- Finally, sprinkle over the demerara sugar and chopped pecan nuts.
Bake the cake
- Place the cake on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, loosely cover the tin with a piece of foil. This will prevent the streusel topping from burning. Bake for a further 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake the cake for a further 5-10 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in its tin for 15 minutes. Then, remove the tin's collar and place the cake on a cooling rack to cool down completely.
- Serve as is or with a dollop of custard or cream.
Notes
- Consider investing in a reliable digital kitchen scale and high-quality measuring spoons to ensure precise ingredient measurements. Accuracy plays a crucial role in achieving cake perfection!
- For best results, remember to allow fridge-cold eggs to reach room temperature before baking. Cold eggs can't blend as smoothly into the batter. Room-temperature eggs contribute to creating tender and evenly rising cakes.
- You can achieve this by removing the eggs from the fridge about 30 minutes beforehand or placing them in warm water for 5 minutes.
- Don't rush this step! Taking 5 minutes, or more, to beat the eggs and sugar makes them light and fluffy. Using an electric mixer helps incorporate tonnes of air for the ultimate lift. Well-beaten eggs = tender crumb.
- Overmixing can deflate the batter, so handle it with care to preserve those essential air bubbles for a soft texture. Stop as soon as no specks of flour are visible.
- Opt for a large metal spoon when folding the flour into the batter.
- Think of it as the difference between slicing a tomato with a blunt knife (resembling a wooden spoon) and a sharp one (like a metal spoon) – the latter cuts through cleanly with minimal damage.
- Adding foil over the tin after 30 minutes of baking will prevent the flour and the nuts in the streusel from burning.
- Don't open the oven door until 30 minutes have passed as you might cause your cake to deflate. The cake needs enough baking in an enclosed, hot environment to create a strong structure first.
- It's equally important to remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes of baking to allow the streusel to bake dry.
- Get to know your oven's quirks. If it runs hotter or cooler than expected, tweak your bake times and temperatures accordingly.
- Trust your eyes and perform visual tests, like checking for springy tops and using a cake tester as indicators of doneness.
- When uncertain, it's always safer to bake lower and slower, within reason.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
365kcal
(18%)
Carbohydrates
51g
(17%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
17g
(26%)
Saturated Fat
9g
(45%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
Monounsaturated Fat
5g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
62mg
(21%)
Sodium
257mg
(11%)
Potassium
176mg
(5%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
30g
(60%)
Vitamin A
469IU
(9%)
Vitamin C
2mg
(2%)
Calcium
71mg
(7%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 365 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 365kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 51g | 17% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 62mg | 21% |
| Sodium | 257mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 176mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 30g | 60% |
| Vitamin A | 469IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 71mg | 7% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
159 reviews
Excellent
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