How many times have we prepared a soft and fragrant apple cake? An evergreen for our children’s breakfast or an afternoon snack. A classic, perhaps the only and inimitable, among the many desserts that smell like home! Because, I believe, that no other dessert has been replicated as many times as the apple cake! The fundamental reason is that no other dessert embodies the concept of family, genuineness, and comforting home hearth so deeply reassuring as this one! So much so that there are now the most varied versions of apple cake, all as delicious as the original, always with the apple as the main ingredient, but with additions that will satisfy even the most demanding and tasty palates! My version, in truth, does not differ much from the old family recipe, moreover super tested, which has remained intact in its essence from generation to generation until today! I had to come along to shake it up a bit, even if I swear, just a little! Basically, the ingredients are the same; I just chose to replace the milk with orange juice and the agave syrup with some sugar. Finally, cinnamon as if there were no tomorrow! A delight to try!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 24 cm diameter pan
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients
- 2 Golden apples
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 7 tbsp butter
- 2 eggs
- 6 tbsp brown sugar (+ 1 teaspoon)
- 2 tbsp agave syrup (+ 1 teaspoon)
- 1⅓ oz potato starch
- 3 tbsp sweet vermouth
- 1 orange (the juice)
- 1 orange zest (untreated)
- 1 packet baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Knife
- Electric whisk
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Citrus juicer
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Spatula
Preparation
Wash and peel the apples. Remove the core and internal seeds, then cut one into thin slices for the final decoration and the other into cubes to be added to the batter. Keep them in 2 separate bowls with the same solution of water, vermouth, grated orange peel, and cinnamon. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, melted butter in a double boiler, sugar, and agave syrup with the help of the electric whisk (fig. 1).
Work until you obtain a light and frothy mixture (fig. 2).
Sift the flour and potato starch and add them gradually while continuing to work with the electric whisk (fig. 3).
Alternate with the filtered orange juice (fig. 4).
Add the sifted baking powder and a pinch of salt. Then squeeze the apple cubes and add them to the batter, stirring gently with a spatula (fig. 5).
Pour the mixture into a previously buttered and floured pan and arrange the apple slices in a circle on the surface, leaving an inch from the edge (fig. 6).
Garnish the surface with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of agave syrup before baking (fig. 7).
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 40 minutes. The toothpick test will confirm it is done. Turn off the oven, let it cool to room temperature, then unmold and serve with powdered sugar if desired.
And voila… your apple cake with oranges and agave syrup is ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy from the kitchen of Fefè!
