Anja Dunk Speedy Apple Cake website

Speedy Apple Cake Recipe by Anja Dunk (with permission)

This wonderful apple cake is indeed speedy to put together and presents beautifully with the ‘hasselback’ technique of the apples. I have made this cake countless times and it is always a hit!

If you’re interested in more recipes from Anja then I highly recommend checking out her debut solo cookbook Strudel, Noodles and Dumplings.

 

READ OUR FOODIE PROFILE WITH ANJA DUNK HERE.

 

Speedy Apple Cake by Anja Dunk

Makes a cake to serve six

You will need a 23cm flan dish or a tin with a removable base

 

FOR THE BATTER

175g butter, plus extra for greasing

150g golden caster sugar

200g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

 

TO TOP THE CAKE

6 small apples, peeled, cored and halved (Anja: I prefer to use cookers like Bramleys for their tart flavour, but eaters hold their shape better)

50g raisins

1 tbsp vanilla sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.

 

Butter a 23cm flan dish or tin with a removable base.

 

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then turn off the heat and add the sugar. Beat for a minute, then add the flour, baking powder, eggs and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth batter is formed. Pour the batter into the flan dish or tin.

 

Put the apple halves flat side down on a board and cut into them at about 3mm intervals, but not all the way through, so they are in slices but still hold together.

 

Arrange them flat side down on the batter. Scatter over the raisins and sprinkle with the vanilla sugar and cinnamon. Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-45 minutes, until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.

 

Cool in the dish or tin. Anja: I tend to slice it straight from the dish, but if you have baked it in a tin you can remove it once cooled.

 

This is best eaten the day it is made, but is still fine the following day if it is stored wrapped in foil.

 

OTHER FLAVOURS: 

A little marzipan grated into the batter mix adds a chewy texture as well as a burst of almond joy in each mouthful

Swap the apples for pears, or scatter some raspberries on to the cake batter before baking and omit the raisins.

 

FIND ANJA’S POTATO AND PARSLEY SOUP RECIPE HERE.

FIND ANJA’S COOKBOOK HERE.