For a 23 or 25cm cake (12-16 slices) you need
1,5kg Granny Smith Apples (about 8-10 apples)
2 litres cold water with 20ml salt
For the batter you need
3 eggs
50ml nutty olive oil or canola oil
120ml milk
5ml vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
200ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
120ml brown sugar
Optional: 250-500ml frozen or fresh blueberries
Optional: 10ml lemon thyme leaves
Optional: 50g flaked almonds (half a packet)
Optional: Icing sugar to dust
To serve: Whipped cream or Double Cream yoghurt, if you used thyme, add a few sprigs
22 or 23cm cake pan lined with baking paper, sprayed with non stick spray. The batter is fairly liquid, so use a whole sheet tucked into the cake pan.
To prepare
Peel the quarter the apples, remove the core
Immediately place the apples in the salt and water brine solution to avoid browning
Prepare the batter
Lightly whisk the eggs, oil, milk, vanilla and lemon together
Place the flour, baking powder and sugar in a LARGE mixing bowl (it must accommodate the apples later)
Stir in the egg mixture to form a batter. It is quite runny, like pancake batter!
Now dry the apple wedges and cut the apples into about 5mm slices. I used a mandolin slicer, but next time I may opt for the slicer blade in the food processor, as 10 apples take time and the slices don’t need to be precise!
Place the apples into the batter and mix for the batter to coat the apples.
Pour half the mixture into the cake pan, layer the blue berries and thyme, add the rest of the batter.
Smooth the surface and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.
Bake at 108°C for 40-70 minutes. A larger cake pan will cook slightly faster.
Allow to cool in the pan, preferably for at least 5 hours
Remove from the pan and peel away the paper, for a rustic effect, leave the cake on the paper & place it on a wooden board
Dust with icing sugar and add a few thyme leaves
Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed, sliced with whipped cream or dollops of full fat yoghurt
This is a moist cake and will keep refrigerated for up to 4 days
