Apple, rye and maple cake

Intermediate

Light rye flour or a brown gluten free flour subtly makes this cake a cut above the rest. The malty flavour, paired with apple, maple and a creamy, tangy topping will keep you coming back for more. And once you’ve released it to those you know, you won’t be able to get rid of them! But if you don’t like those flours, I’ve added in other ingredient swap suggestions below. Make the sponge part of this cake, the day ahead of filling and decorating, to allow time for it too cool. Once you’ve made this cake, you will find it difficult to avoid popping into the kitchen, veering towards it and slicing a little to pop into your cake hole. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

This makes a two-layer sandwich cake of 20cm diameter

Extra utensils

20cm deep spring form or loose based cake tin

Vegetable peeler

Sharp knife

Electric mixer and beater attachment – optional but highly recommended

Bread knife

Palette knife or medium metal spoon

Ingredients

2 eating apples or 1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm chunks

1 tbsp maple syrup

3 medium eggs separated

120g sunflower or other plant oil

150g soft light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g plain flour

100g light rye flour

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

80g sultanas

Zest of ½ a lemon

For the filling and topping

70g unsalted butter, softened

70g soft light brown sugar

1 tsp maple syrup

½ tsp vanilla extract

180g full fat plain cream cheese, straight from the fridge

Optional – dried apple to decorate

Cake ingredient swaps

Maple syrup for honey or agave syrup

Eggs for egg substitute

Egg white for aquafaba, whipped (whipped chick pea can water)

White flour for plain white gluten free flour

Light rye flour for oat flour, wholemeal or plain white flour. Or if making the whole cake gluten free, swap the rye for brown gluten free flour

Sultanas for another dried fruit or leave it out

Butter for plant butter – the block type

Cream cheese for vegan cream cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/170°C/gas mark 3.

Prepare the apple and stir through the 1tbsp of maple syrup in a bowl. Leave to one side.

In a mixing bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed or with a hand whisk, until it goes whiter and holds it shape. Scrape into another bowl and put to one side.

Use the same mixing bowl to add the ingredients of oil, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat on high speed until it has thickened up and looks like tinned caramel – a joyful sight!

Add into the mixture, the dry ingredients of the flours, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix until combined well. It will be fairly dry and thick now. Don’t worry, the next part thins it out.

Next, pour in the apples with their maple coating, sultanas and lemon zest. Mix gently to combine and this will loosen the mixture.

Lastly, add in one third of the whipped egg white and mix well to loosen the mixture further. Then add the second third off egg white and mix or fold in if you can. Then add the last third of egg white and fold in until no egg white shows.

Pour the generous cake mixture into your prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Check the cake at this point with a skewer to see if no raw cake mix comes out. If it does, return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and leave it in the tin, on a cooling rack to get completely cool. Being a bigger cake, it will take 3 plus hours to cool – you can do it!

When the cake is cool make the topping and filling.

Beat the butter, in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer or with a hand whisk until light and fluffy. Add in the brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla, then beat again until it is a smooth light brown paste.

Add in the plain cream cheese and beat on a medium speed or with a hand whisk for about 1 minute. Cream cheese has a tendency to get over whipped and then go runny. As soon as you have a lovely, thick spreadable creamy topping, stop beating mixture and it will be perfect.

Use a bread knife to gently slice your cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom piece, cut face up, onto your cake plate. Spread with one third of the creamy topping mixture, with a palette knife or the back of a medium metal spoon.

Place the top of the cake, cut side down, onto the first cake and cream layer to sandwich it together. Add the rest of your topping on top of the cake and spread over. You’re nearly there!

Sprinkle chopped dried apple pieces around the edge of your cake, if you want to and you are done!

Put that kettle on and announce your cake, to whoever is lucky enough to listen. You’re going to have guests!

Store in an airtight container. This can be kept in the fridge in hot weather, due to the frosting. Remove half an hour before serving. The full fresh cake will be at its best for 4 days.

Make ahead. Make the cake part, cool, wrap and freeze for up to one month and defrost at room temperature. Or keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make the filling and topping fresh, once defrosted.

If you enjoyed this recipe and want to try more, you can order a copy of my bread making recipe book here.

Copyright The Doorstep Baker, Catherine Lloyd-Williams