Caramelised Apple Sponge Cake with Pecan Streusel
User Reviews
5
159 reviews
Excellent
Caramelised Apple Sponge Cake with Pecan Streusel
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This cake combines caramelized diced apples cooked in butter and brown sugar with a spiced apple sponge cake base studded with sultanas soaked in water. A cinnamon-pecan streusel topping adds crunchy texture. The layered batter bakes to a tender cake with a moist, caramel-flavored apple layer and a crumbly nutty topping.
Description
The Caramelised Apple Sponge Cake with Pecan Streusel begins by soaking sultanas to plump them before incorporation. Apples are caramelized in butter and dark brown sugar until golden and flavorful, forming the moist fruit layer. The streusel is a coarse crumb topping made by pulsing flour, brown sugar, cold cubed butter, cinnamon, and chopped pecans until crumbly with pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
The sponge cake batter mixes butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, salt, and warm spices like cinnamon, mixed spice, ginger, and nutmeg with milk and soaked sultanas. The cake bakes in a lined springform tin, assembling the caramelized apples in the base and streusel sprinkled on top, creating contrasting textures of moist, tender cake with sweet apples and crunchy topping.
Precise measurement and room-temperature ingredients ensure proper rise and texture. Adding foil after baking prevents topping burnt edges, while removing it near the end crisps the streusel. Monitoring the oven and not opening the door early helps maintain the cake’s structure. Visual cues like springy top and cake tester inserts help judge doneness.
The result is a spiced apple dessert with a rich caramel flavor balanced by nutty pecans, suitable for teatime or special occasions.
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Ingredients
For the caramelised apples
- 1 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 400 grams apple equates to roughly four eating apples, like Pink Lady, diced, eating variety
For the streusel topping
- 75 grams all-purpose flour
- 75 grams dark brown sugar
- 75 grams butter salted or unsalted, sliced into cubes, cold
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons pecan chopped
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 egg at room temperature, large
- 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 pecan chopped
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
- Use a digital scale and quality measuring spoons for ingredient accuracy.
- Bring eggs to room temperature before baking to achieve tender, evenly risen cake.
- Beat eggs and sugar thoroughly using an electric mixer to incorporate air for lift.
- Fold flour gently with a large metal spoon to preserve air bubbles, avoiding overmixing.
- Cover the cake with foil after 30 minutes to prevent the streusel from burning, removing it for the last 5-10 minutes to dry the topping.
- Do not open the oven door until at least 30 minutes into baking to avoid collapsing the cake.
- Adjust baking times if your oven runs hotter or cooler, relying on visual and tactile cues to confirm doneness.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
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%)
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
159 reviews
Excellent
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