I wanted to bake a cake today that would reflect celebrations. There is just so much to celebrate this month! I love apples and Todd loves Spice cakes, so I decided to combine the two.
I am rather fond of spice cakes myself, but I won't be eating much of this. Its mainly for Todd. Today is our 17th wedding anniversary, so in part it is to celebrate that . . . but there is even more reason for celebrations . . .
Today is also the day
From the time I was a little girl I had the dream of one day writing a book, and now that dream has come true.
"Learn how to cook the complete breadth of English cuisine with The English Kitchen. Award winning blogger and former personal chef Marie Rayner shares 510 recipes to cover every meal from the famous ‘Full English’ breakfast to late night treats of cake and biscuits. Every meal that could cross a traditional English plate is on offer, with modern favourites from around the British Isles and abroad making an appearance too.
You will find recipes for fry ups, lemon toast, custard creams, honey cake, Bakewell scones, the ultimate chicken Caesar salad, ploughman’s lunch, toad-in-the-hole, pork chops, Lancashire hotpot, hunter’s chicken, gardener’s pie, chips and mushy peas, how to make the perfect Sunday roast, Yorkshire pudding, bubble and squeak, coronation chicken, rock cakes, crumpets, crumbles, roly polys, sticky toffee pudding and more!
Marie also shares her years of experience in running a kitchen, with an entire chapter of Kitchen Wisdom to teach you the hints, tips and secrets behind making it all look (and feel) easy.
Marie came to the UK in the year 2000 and swiftly fell in love with the British culinary style. These are her tried and tested, very best recipes. They don’t have to be fancy, but they are each and every one delicious. Throughout she will educate you with gentle humor and beautiful illustrations, whether you are a native Brit looking for the taste of home, or an anglophile waiting to discover the traditions for the first time."
Hard cover, 724 pages, full color and filled with lots of tastiness you can buy it on Amazon in either the full print version or kindle version. It is up to you. I believe it is also available from The Book Depository.
Amazon UK
(Available in both Print and Kindle versions)
Amazon US
(Available in both Print and Kindle Versions)
Amazon CA
(At the moment it is only showing the Kindle version here, but I am sure the print version will be available soon)
Now lets talk about cake!
This deliciously moist cake is filled with lots of warm baking spices . . . cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, cloves . . .
The use of soft light brown muscovado sugar, applesauce and buttermilk also insure it is a moist, moist, moist cake.
There is even more warm spicy flavours in the Cinnamon Buttercream Icing . . . you could also make a cream cheese frosting if you wanted to. Cream cheese is different over here and I don't like the way it turns out. Icings made with it are always too slack.
This is a moist somewhat dense cake, and deserves an icing that will stand up to that!
It would also be great for the looming holidays . . . that is why I chose to top it with mini mince pies. Todd loves mince pies and he really enjoyed this addition!
I also thought they looked really pretty, but you can top it with whatever you want to top it with. However you want to dress it up . . . caramel bits, candied ginger, dried apple chunks . . . crushed gingernuts. All would be fabulous!
*Apple Spice Cake*Makes 1 (9-inch) layer cake Printable Recipe
Moist and delicious with a Cinnamon Buttercream frosting.
For the cake:315g plain flour (2 1/4 cups)1 tsp baking powder1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)1/2 tsp salt1 tsp ground ginger1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon1/2 tsp ground allspice1/4 tsp ground cloves1/4 tsp ground cardamom350g soft light brown muscovado suar (1 3/4 cups packed)180ml vegetable oil (3/4 cup)180g unsweetened smooth applesauce (I make my own) (3/4 cup)4 large free range eggs1 tsp vanilla paste240ml buttermilk (1 cup)
For the frosting:125g butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup)
495g icing sugar sifted (3 3/4 cups)1/2 tsp vanilla paste1/2 tsp cinnamon extract3-4 TBS milk
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter two nine inch layer cake pans and line the bottoms with baking paper. Butter the paper. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda, and spices together until well combined. Set aside.
Rub the brown sugar through a sieve into a large bowl. Beat in the applesauce and oil, using an electric whisk, until well mixed together. Beat in the vanilla and the eggs, one egg at a time, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in half of the flour mixture on a low speed, just to combine. Blend in the buttermilk. Stir in the remaining flour at low speed until well combined. Divide the batter between the baking pans, smoothing the tops.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centres of the cakes comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes before inverting onto a large wire cooling rack. Carefully remove the baking paper and then allow to cool completely before proceeding.
For the frosting, cream the butter for about 30 seconds. Beat in the sifted sugar, 1/3 at a time. Beat in 3 TBS milk along with the vanilla and cinnamon extract. Only beat in the last TBS of milk if you need toin order to get a thick smooth frosting of good spreading consistency.
If you only bake one cake for the holidays (other than a fruit cake of course, you gotta have one of those) let it be this . . . you are sure to love it, and do be sure to check out my book as well. There are previews and all sorts on the Amazon page . . . you know that option where you can search through this book. Anyways, Bon Appetit!
I've added my cake to the Bake of the Week, sponsered by Helen from Casa Costello and Jenny from Mummy Mishaps.