The rustic recipe you didn't even know you needed.
This recipe make the best morning tea, lunch box treat or just a great snack when you want something that reminds you of home. It's super simple too, using my favourite melt & mix method! I love that this whole cake comes together in next to no time, uses just a hand-held wire whisk and keeps well for 2-3 days! The cake in the photo was sliced cold, and was still so soft and tender, but nothing beats that freshly baked aroma and fluffy tenderness! Note. I used an 11 x 30cm loaf pan, but this cake would make a great 7" or 8" round. Ingredients: 180 g unsalted butter, softened to a semi soft / semi melted state 160 g soft brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste / essence or extract
3 extra large eggs (150 g total raw weight) at room temperature
80 g Greek-style yoghurt
100 g plain flour
160 g self raising flour + 20 g additional if needed
1 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon or mixed spice (optional)
400 g canned pie apples (find a brand that has 100% apple as the only ingredient) - drained
Cinnamon-sugar topping
25 g melted unsalted butter
2 tbs caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon Method:
Preheat oven to 160C and line the base of a loaf pan with baking paper - I tend to leave the side of the cake pan un lined or greased as this allows the cake to bake taller and fluffier. Soften butter in the microwave in short 8 - 10 second bursts, so that the butter is very soft and only partially melted. Combine the brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon with the very soft butter and whisk together with a wire whisk until everything is well combined and the mixture looks soft, pale and fluffy. Add the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well between each. Add the yoghurt and mix until well blended. Sift the flours over the butter, sugar and egg mixture, fold through gently so that the flour is mostly combined.
Finally, fold through the apple.
The cake batter should look soft and fluffy with no visible pockets of flour remaining.
Transfer the batter into the pan and bake in a slow oven, approx. 160C for 55 minutes.
Check the cake for signs of baking before removing to cool.
Once the baked cake has been removed from the oven, melt the butter and brush over the top of the cake generously. Mix together the caster sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the warm, freshly buttered top. Leave the cake to cool in the pan. Slice as desired. Serve as is or hot with icecream or custard or both! Store any uneaten cake in a sealed container, in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight for 2-3 days. In hot, summer months, I store the cake in the fridge. Enjoy! x
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