Friday, September 01, 2006

Big Apple Cake with Cardamom Sugar



Today is September 1. It's the first official day of autumn, and I can feel cool crisp air streaming through my window. The sun is up and while it will probably be pretty warm today, the air has a new chilly bite.

What better to cook than something with apples? This is one big apple cake. It serves 30 - or less people, if they want seconds. Perfect for those big, but informal functions. As my other "large scale recipes", this is also based on one from the book "Kyrkkaffe", "Church Coffee". The original recipe didn't include the cardamom sugar, but I think it added a nice touch. You could use cinnamon instead, or perhaps more vanilla. Anything goes.

You can use any apples for this - but it's best if they're crisp and not too sweet.



Big Apple Cake with Cardamom Sugar
30 pieces

5 eggs
650 ml sugar (2,5 cups)
250 g butter
750 ml flour (3 cups)
5 tsp baking powder
3 tsp vanilla sugar
5-6 crisp apples

2-3 tbsp cardamom sugar (mix 1/2 tsp cardamom with 2-3 tbsp sugar - you can make a big jar in advance and have at hand, if you'd like.)

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Melt the butter and stir in with the eggs. Mix the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar - and add that to the batter. Pour into a rimmed cookie sheet, or another big pan. (You're going to need a very big pan.)

Core and slice the apples, but don't peel them. Arrange the slices on the cake as prettily as you can. Sprinkle with cardamom sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown.

Urshultsbygdens äppelkaka med kardemumma

4 comments:

Clivia said...

oh, that book is so good. I use it all the time!

Shelly said...

Anne,

Lovely post! My favorite time of year- early crisp fall days and nothing could be more perfect than apples! I am about to make my annual trip to the apple orchard and I just bought my first bottle of cardamom. I never heard of cardamom before reading your blog, but now I see it in many cookbooks, usually with Swedish bread recipes.
Thanks for the recipe!

Brazilian Linda said...

Oh, I Loooove cardamon!!! and it goes soo well with apples! Today i am bringing cardamon to work because everyone keeps asking what it is :)

Anonymous said...

How simple yet elegant. Lovely apple cake. Wow!
I wish I could have a slice of it now.
Wow!
Dianka