Makes one 9-inch loaf
A slice of this tender apple cake, topped with icing and toasted almonds, can look a little plain on the plate. But a simple garnish of whipped cream, sliced apples, and a pinch of grated nutmeg transforms it. Firm apple varieties now in season, such as Cortland and Macoun, work well in the batter. Use a food processor or hand grater to shred the fruit. To make it easy to remove the baked loaf from the pan, line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper. The cake will slip out easily. Let it cool thoroughly before decorating so the icing doesn’t melt.
| Butter (for the pan) | |
| 1⅔ | cups flour |
| 1½ | teaspoons baking powder |
| ¼ | teaspoon baking soda |
| ¼ | teaspoon salt |
| ¾ | teaspoon ground cinnamon |
| ¼ | teaspoon ground nutmeg |
| ½ | cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature |
| 1 | cup granulated sugar |
| 2 | eggs |
| 1 | large apple (Cortland, Macoun), cored, peeled, and shredded (1 cup) |
| ⅓ | cup sliced almonds |
| 1 | cup confectioners’ sugar |
| 4 | teaspoons water, or more if needed |
| 1 | cup heavy cream, whipped until it holds soft peaks |
| 1 | bright-red apple, sliced into thin wedges |
| Ground nutmeg (for sprinkling) |
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom and sides with wax or parchment paper, letting the edges extend over the sides of the pan. Butter the paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and the ¼ teaspoon nutmeg to blend them.
3. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4. With the mixer set on its lowest speed, blend in the flour mixture and shredded apple only until blended. The batter will be thick. Pour the batter in the pan and spread it evenly.
5. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 50 minutes, or until the cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Leave the oven on to toast the almonds. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool.
6. In a small baking dish, spread the almonds. Toast for 10 minutes, turning once, or until lightly toasted; transfer to a plate; cool.
7. With a wide spatula, loosen the sides of the loaf from the pan, invert the pan onto a rack and remove the pan. Peel off the paper and set the loaf, right-side up, on the rack. Cool completely.
8. In a bowl, sift the confectioners’ sugar. Add the water and whisk until the mixture forms a smooth, spreadable icing. Add more water, ¼ teaspoon at a time, if necessary.
9. Spread the icing on top of the cake. Sprinkle with the almonds, pressing them gently into the icing. Leave until set.
10. With a serrated knife, cut the cake into slices. Garnish each with whipped cream, sliced apple, and a dusting of nutmeg.
Jean Kressy
Jean Kressy can be reached at jeankressy@comcast.net.Bagikan Berita Ini
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