I’m back again with another Bramley apple recipe; an apple cake this time. I’ve taken the hearty, homely great British apple crumble and custard pudding and given it a makeover. A new way to serve it for the summer months, if you will. This Bramley apple cake is topped with a creamy custard buttercream and crowned with crunchy almond crumble that’s devilishly moreish. This apple cake is damp, soft and lightly warming from the Bramley apple and cinnamon combination.
The British grown Bramley has been the best apple to cook with for over 200 years; it’s higher malic acid content and lower sugar levels produce a stronger tangier tasting apple after cooking, with a melt in the mouth moist texture. No other apple will do.
Dessert apples, though delicious as a raw snack, can be chewy when cooked, producing a dissatisfying texture, all because they contain up to 20% more dry matter than the Bramley. In my humble opinion, they kind of disappear when baked into cakes, the flavour just doesn’t stand up to all the butter and sugar and other ingredients. Not so with the Bramley apple. It’s worth seeking it out especially for its superior flavour, texture and ultimately, bake; that way you get the perfect apple cake.
Pop over to www.bramleyapples.co.uk for more inspiration and information – there are loads of great recipes to choose from. And don’t forget to share your Bramley recipes and tips using the hashtag #LoveBramley on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Prep Time: 0 hours, 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 0 minutes
- For the cake:
- 290mls oil (sunflower, groundnut, rapeseed – anything flavourless but beware extra virgin olive oil as it has a strong flavour and not everyone likes it in baked goods)
- 300g muscovado sugar
- 285g self raising flour
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 350g grated Bramley apple (2 large ones, including skin)
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- For the crumble:
- 60g plain flour
- 15g ground almonds
- 50g castor sugar
- 50g cold butter
- For the icing:
- 200g soft salted butter
- 400g icing sugar
- 40g custard powder
- 35mls milk
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. Grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins. Once the oven has preheated mix all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon until there aren’t any lumps or traces of egg yolk visible. Pay particular attention to the sugar as it can sit in lumps. Spoon into the tins evenly and bake for 40 minutes until well risen and a toothpick comes out of the middle of the cakes clean. Cool on a wire rack out of the tins. Make the crumble topping by rubbing all the ingredients together until you have a rubble-like consistency. Spread in a thin layer over a lined baking tray and bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4 until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack, still on the tray. Once cool, break up into smaller pieces about 2cm. Make the custard buttercream by beating the butter until soft and creamy. Add the icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Lastly dissolve the custard powder into the milk, stirring until smooth. Add to the icing and beat for 7 minutes at the highest speed (stand mixer or handheld mixer) until really light and creamy. Use half to sandwich the cake together and the other half to smooth over the top. Sprinkle the outside and centre with cold crumble mixture and serve.
This blog post was supported by the Bramley Campaign. Find more information at www.bramleyapples.co.uk, visit their Facebook page and follow them on Instagram @bramleyrecipes.
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