The apples will shrink considerably while they bake so make sure to jam pack them into your
pan. My current favorites are Winesap but you can use any firm apple you love.
an 8" or 9" cake pan works for this recipe
Ingredients
3-4 firm apples, how many will depend on your pan and the size of the apple
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt
*
8 Tablespoons butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, room temp
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
Take the butter, eggs and heavy cream out of the refrigerator. Measure them out and let that part of your mise-en-place come to room temperature. This will ensure your cake mixes and bakes under the best conditions.
Melt the butter 6 Tablespoons of butter. While it cools down a bit preheat the oven to 325º
Spray an 8” cake pan with non stick spray and line it with parchment.
Peel the apples and cut them into chunks or wedges that are 1/3-1/2" thick.
Pour the melted butter into your parchment lined pan and swirl it to cover the whole base of the pan. Sprinkle the brown butter evenly over the butter. (I like to sprinkle a little extra brown sugar if there are spots where I can still see thin puddles of butter so that there is an oven coating of brown sugar.)
Sprinkle the Maldon salt evenly over the brown sugar. I like to crush the Maldon with my fingers as I sprinkle.
Lay your apple pieces in the brown sugar. Try to fit as many as possible.
In your mixer (or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and lots of elbow grease) beat the butter, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until fluffy and light.
Add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape the bottom to make sure everything is well incorporated and then add the vanilla. Beat again to incorporate.
Add the flours. If using a mixer don’t beat it at a high speed. If using elbow grease fold it in. When the flour is almost 100% incorporated add the heavy cream and gently combine.
The cake mix will be thick. I like to use an ice cream scoop to gently drop the batter all over the pan with as little disturbance as possible to the fruit. Two spoons work here as well.
Using an off-set or the back of a spoon gently pat and spread it so as to not move the fruit out of place. Once the apples are covered with batter smooth out the top.
Bake the cake and be sure not to open the oven door until at least the first 10 minutes have passed.
I like to check on the cake at around 20- 30 minutes in. This is also a great time to turn your cake so that it bakes evenly since all ovens have hot spots.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 45-60 minutes depending on your oven. The best timer of all is your nose. You will start smelling the vanilla and brown sugar once the cake is almost done.
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