Apple Cake
PREP: 10 min | BAKE: 1 hr | SERVINGS: 10
INGREDIENTS
EQUIPMENT
8.5-inch or 9-inch springform or cake pan
WET
1 cup plant milk soy, almond, oats
¼ cup vegetable, oil sunflower oil, canola oil, or melted vegan butter
¾ cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top
DRY
2 cups flour all-purpose, wholewheat, or 50% all-purpose and 50% wholewheat (see notes below for more info)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract with wet ingredients
1 pinch salt
3 - 4 medium apples (about 6 ounces or 170 grams per whole apple)
2 apples for the filling, diced (you can keep the peel on)
1 to 2 apples for the top, thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
Oil the sides of your pan and dust them with flour. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 360°F.
To a large bowl, add the wet ingredients: plant milk, oil, and sugar. Whisk to combine.
Sift in the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
Whisk with a hand mixer (or use whisk or silicon spatula) for a few seconds till you have a smooth and thick cake batter. Do not over-mix, or the cake will turn out gummy.
Add small apple pieces from 2 apples (about 11 ounces or 300 grams). Apples should be cored and seeds removed. You can keep the peel on.
Fold in with a spatula until the apple pieces are well incorporated into the batter, then pour it into the cake tin.
Cover the top of the cake with thin apple slices in a circular pattern, overlapping the slices a bit and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Bake the cake at 360°F for 55 minutes to 1 hour on the center rack of the oven.
NOTE: Bake on a baking rack, not on a baking tray, because the tray will get too hot and might overcook the base of the cake.Take out of the oven and let cool down for about 1 hour. Then sprinkle with some powdered sugar if you want
NOTES:
Do not over-mix. Over-mixing will result in a heavy, gummy cake. If you want your cake light and fluffy, mix till the ingredients are incorporated and no more.
Try to be fast. From the moment you add baking powder to the cake batter, try to finish the cake and bake it as fast as you can. This is because the baking powder starts working as soon as it touches the cake batter, and if you leave it out for too long without baking, you’ll lose some of its leavening power.
Sift the flour while adding it to the mix. Sifting will break down any lumps and help you incorporate air into the cake. In turn, your cake will be lighter and fluffier. You can sift with a regular kitchen sieve.
Do not open the oven. At least during the first 30 minutes of baking, your cake might deflate.