Sophies Apple Tea Cake With Carmelized Verjuice Syrup Food

SOPHIE'S APPLE TEA CAKE WITH CARMELIZED VERJUICE SYRUP

Steps:

• Method
• Peel and core the apples, then cut them into eighths and put them into a saucepan with 1/4 cup castor sugar and the verjuice. Bring to a boil over a high heat, then gently stir until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat but don't move the pan. Leave the apple in this light syrup for 10 minutes, then drain, reserving the syrup (you should have about 3 fluid ounces).
• Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 22 cm springform tin. To make the cake, cream the butter and castor sugar until pale and thick. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. (If the mixture starts to curdle, add a tablespoon of the measured flour to stablize it.) Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt and add alternately to the egg mixture with the milk and vanilla extract. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
• Arrange the apple on the top in a concentric pattern, pushing the pieces into the batter slightly. Mix 2 teaspoons castor sugar and the ground cassia and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake stand in the tin for at least 10 minutes, then remove the tin carefully.
• While the cake is cooking, make the syrup. Have iced water ready in the sink or a large bowl. Bring the verjuice and castor sugar to a boil in a saucepan and cook until a deep, golden brown. Remove the caramel from the heat and cautiously add the reserved apple cooking syrup - the mixture may spit a little. Stand the saucepan in the iced water immediately to arrest the cooking, then pour into a jug ready to serve.
• To Serve
• To serve, brush the warm cake with the syrup. Put a wedge of warm cake onto each plate (one with a gently lip is best), then ladle over the syrup and offer with a hearty dollop of thick cream.

WINTER SPICE CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED APPLE TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with foil; spray foil. Wrap outside of pan with foil.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Sauté apples until almost tender and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Increase heat to high and toss until sugar melts and apples are deep brown, about 4 minutes. Pour apple mixture onto large plate (do not clean skillet).
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 cup sugar and cook until mixture is deep golden brown, stirring often, about 7 minutes (mixture will be grainy). Add cream and vinegar (do not stir). Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer without stirring until most of caramel bits dissolve, about 8 minutes. Uncover and whisk until sauce is slightly thick, deep brown and reduced to generous 1 cup, about 3 minutes longer. Pour caramel sauce into small saucepan.
• Spread 3 tablespoons caramel sauce over bottom of prepared pan. Arrange apple wedges side by side, rounded side down, in caramel in 2 concentric circles. Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into bowl. Beat 6 tablespoons butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl to blend (mixture will be grainy). Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla and 1/4 cup caramel sauce. Beat in half of dry ingredients, then sour cream, then remaining dry ingredients.
• Spoon batter evenly over apples. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes.
• Cut around cake; remove pan sides. Cool cake 15 minutes longer. Place platter atop cake; invert cake onto platter. Remove pan bottom and foil. Replace any dislodged apples. Rewarm remaining caramel sauce. Serve cake warm or at room temperature with sauce.

BROWN-SUGAR SPICE CAKE WITH CREAM AND CARAMELIZED APPLES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour cake pan, knocking out excess flour.
• Make caramelized apples:
• Peel and core apples, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.
• Spread softened butter in an even layer over bottom of a 12-inch heavy skillet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Add apple wedges and cook over moderate heat, without stirring, until sugar is melted and apples start to give off liquid, about 10 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are just tender and juices become syrupy, about 30 minutes more.
• Pour syrup from skillet into a small heatproof bowl, then sauté apples, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and very tender, about 30 minutes more. Return syrup to apples and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
• Make cake while apples cook:
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.
• Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg until combined. Add maple syrup, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, then mix until just incorporated.
• Spread batter in cake pan and bake until cake is golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Make cream just before serving:
• Beat cream with sour cream and sugar using cleaned beaters at high speed until it just holds soft peaks.
• To serve:
• Run a thin knife around edge of pan, then invert cake onto a plate and cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with warm apple mixture and cream.