This cutie cake was made for my mother in celebration of her 21st birthday (wink wink). She's the spunky sort. Honestly, her direct manner sometimes makes me put my head under the table. For that reason, I love making her baked goods. There is no question that her feedback will be blunt. When i ask, "what do you think?"- I'm not fishing for compliments. I enjoy the assessment and dialogue thereafter because it's chance to learn.
The go-to delights for the little lady are tiramisu, dark chocolate, and bread pudding. She has a sweet tooth which she tries to curb with fruits. This year, my brother said, "let's switch it up." Fortunately, this Apple Cream Cake has been on the watch-list and she is an apple lover. When we were kids, she used cut the apple with one hand and hand us the slices with the other. That's what a lifetime of peeling potatoes in Portugal gets you!
I was a bad baker and didn't read the recipe in full before getting started. My first revelation was this is the first non-vegan cake I have ever made that has no butter. How awesome is that? The cake comes out just right- not too sweet and not too bland. It makes for a great base!
My second revelation was the frosting is apple butter mixed with whipped cream. I got through the entire apple cooking process and realized that was nothing more than home-made apple butter! So if you're being lazy, use the store-bought stuff! The benefit of making the apple butter yourself is the frosting will come out smoother but it's not a deal breaker.
Update: I made this cake again for a co-worker and was more meticulous this round. In a large skillet, I cooked the apples over a medium heat until they were tender, drained any excess water, and then tossed them immediately into the blender with the vanilla bean and powdered sugar. The result was a far smoother texture.
Update: I made this cake again for a co-worker and was more meticulous this round. In a large skillet, I cooked the apples over a medium heat until they were tender, drained any excess water, and then tossed them immediately into the blender with the vanilla bean and powdered sugar. The result was a far smoother texture.
Of courses, I made a few personal touches here and there. I added a little rum to the cake itself (about 1-2 tablespoons) and cinnamon to the apple butter. Can't have apples without some cinnamon! As noted on Irena and Dots, the batter can be dense. I found a splash of almond milk went a long way.
Note, get those apples, vanilla, and sugar in the blender before the apples cool down. The heat from the oven plus being blended should make it melt down into a creamier texture. My mix cooled too much (room temperature- woops!) and had a slight grain to it.
In conclusion, this cake is darling. It has a sophisticated and mature flavor. The fam crushed it with little guilt. I adore any cake that's smaller than a 9 inch round! It has a European feel and holds itself above the usual sugar rush. Plus, it's easy to make. Make the frosting the day before if you're looking to save time. Loves!
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