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apple, vanilla and cinnamon layer cake with a salted vanilla buttercream icing

20 April 2016 by Dominic Franks

… so I didn’t sleep a wink last night.  It may have been the bottle of wine (or two) but I think it’s the fact that i’m reading an incredibly intense bit of time-travel sci-fi at the moment and I can’t seem to put it down.  I absolutely love finding a good book and I think I slip into a bit of a zombie coma when I get into the reading mood.  This weekend it’s quite possible that 8 hours went by on Saturday when I did nothing but read and doze a little in front of the fire.  This sounds idyllic and it really was but the issue is that even when I put the book down i’m still completely absorbed in that world… and of course now i’m obsessed with finding a time portal and the back of the larder that will take me to some wonderful 1950’s diner where Root Beer tasted incredible and apple cake was apple cake!

apple, vanilla and cinnamon layer cake with a salted vanilla buttercream icing
oh my word this cake is good… it feels entirely the wrong season for such ‘warm’ flavours but in fact the tart apples along with the vanilla buttercream make this quite fresh and anyway, this sunshine will no doubt pass in the wink of a bats eye so a scrumptious and hearty apply cake is nothing but a good thing.  The Viking suggested this cake was more pudding than cake and it’s true, there’s something very squidgy and pudding-like about it… you have to watch the baking very closely as it browns easily but you also don’t want it to be too raw.  Mine was just on the edge.  The apples still have bite and the cake was just baked – a few seconds less and it would have been goo.  Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad thing… cinnamon, vanilla and apple goo ‘aint so bad.  I also only had salted butter for the buttercream icing but this has, in my opinion, only made everything pop but feel free to use unsalted butter although I warn you, the cake is very sweet so the salt can only but help…

I’ve been sent quite a bit of glorious vanilla paste and extract from the lovely people at Nielsen-Massey for no other reason than their product is sublime and vanilla rocks!

225g butter – room temperature
225g sugar
3 large free-range eggs
125g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
3 Bramley apples – peeled, cored and diced
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
a little milk to slacken

for the butter cream
100g salted butter
200g icing sugar – I used a Billingtons Golden Icing Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

grease and line 2 x 20cm loose bottom cake tins and pre-heat the oven to 170C fan

mix the flour, ground almonds and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside

in another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together for at least 5 mins until it is pale and fluffy and smooth, then beat in one egg, followed by a third of the flour mix, then the second egg, followed by another third of the flour mix, then add the vanilla bean paste, the last egg and remaining flour and beat together till smooth… add a little milk to slacken and then add all the apples – it’s a LOT of apples and the mixture will feel thick and impossible to stir but this is how it should be

divide evenly between the two cake tins and bake for 20 mins or until golden and risen – then set aside until cool

to make the buttercream simply beat the butter for 5 mins in a large bowl then carefully add the icing sugar and vanilla paste and stir together to form a smooth icing – you may need to add a drop or two of cold water to get the mix going

slather one half of the cooled cakes with the frosting and sandwich together -lafter this non extravagant decoration leave it plain as it’s all it needs!

eat and of course, enjoy!

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Filed Under: Cakes Tagged With: apple, apple cake, cinnamon, frosting, icing, layer cake, salted caramel, sugar, vanilla

Previous Post: « roast sausages with bramley apple cheddar mash
Next Post: baked field mushrooms with caramelised onions, kale and nettle »

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Comments

  1. Jo says

    20 April 2016 at 1:58 pm

    This looks so delicious, I love apple cake so much as well as salted vanilla buttercream.

  2. From the Kitchen says

    20 April 2016 at 5:19 pm

    I do know what you mean by being absorbed in a good book and reading into the wee hours of the night. I hope you find that portal!! In the meantime, this cake sounds amazing and I'm filing it under (apples). May I say that I love the new four-generation stamp in honor of Queen Elizabeth's birthday?!!

    Best,
    Bonnie

  3. Suelle says

    20 April 2016 at 8:10 pm

    That's a lot of apple to get into a sponge cake – I'm not surprised it was a little pudding-like – not that that's a bad thing at all! It looks delicious!

  4. Jean says

    21 April 2016 at 6:46 am

    This cake looks wonderful. We love apples and the squidgyness of pudding cakes. I don't think there is a definite season for apples, we always had apple pudding of some kind every Sunday for dinner as a child so I'm used to having them all year round. Always Bramleys – it was unheard of to cook with an “eating apple”.

  5. belleau kitchen says

    21 April 2016 at 8:58 am

    Thanks Jo… they are a great combo!

  6. belleau kitchen says

    21 April 2016 at 8:59 am

    Thanks Bonnie… I didn't make the stamp myself but it is a wonderful photo!

  7. belleau kitchen says

    21 April 2016 at 8:59 am

    Thanks Suelle… I tell you, it's a lot of apples and when you're making it you're never quite sure but it's amazing!!

  8. belleau kitchen says

    21 April 2016 at 9:00 am

    Thanks Jean… I DO adore a Bramley!

  9. Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

    21 April 2016 at 8:55 pm

    Luscious cake Dom. Looks so moist and gooey. Apple cake is one of life's pleasures….. and salted vanilla buttercream sounds like a perfect accompaniment. As for Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean paste…… definitely the best!

  10. Tricia Buice says

    22 April 2016 at 1:12 am

    Dom this looks so moist and delicious and the flavor is evident in this lovely cake! Love the texture and the icing. A perfect bite 🙂

  11. Rami @ Tasteaholics says

    22 April 2016 at 1:31 pm

    An apple cake with a twist! Looks SO good!!! Pinned

  12. belleau kitchen says

    22 April 2016 at 3:25 pm

    Thanks Kate, I have to say it all came together beautifully!

  13. belleau kitchen says

    22 April 2016 at 3:25 pm

    Thanks Tricia… the texture for me is the winner!

  14. belleau kitchen says

    22 April 2016 at 3:25 pm

    thanks Rami! xxx

  15. Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes says

    23 April 2016 at 3:07 am

    I want to bite into my iPad screen! Wow. Does that look delicious! The ginger is a nice addition too. Thanks for sharing!

  16. Choclette Blogger says

    23 April 2016 at 1:11 pm

    Just looks glorious. There's no such thing as a non-apple cake season and if you put salted in the title, no matter what, I'm all yours 😉

  17. Treat and Trick says

    24 April 2016 at 1:24 am

    This cake looks awesome! I wish to grab some for my cuppa…

  18. Karen S Booth says

    24 April 2016 at 9:38 am

    A wonderful cake and like you, I often slip into another world with a good book! LOVE apple cake, and yours looks like a winner, Karen

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About Dom In The Kitchen

My name is Dominic, I am a cook, food writer and creative event producer. I write the food blog Dom In The Kitchen and also write a monthly recipe column for Lincolnshire Life Magazine and Good Taste Magazine. I also run creative event production company The Persuaders, producing global events for brands since 1997. I am based both in the small village of Belleau in Lincolnshire and the smaller village of London! Read More…

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