lemon and apple cake

Apple is so often associated with warm spices and brown and toasty flavors that we tend forget its lighter, fruitier side. In this simple cake, apple slices are brightly dyed with the tiniest pinch of turmeric to visually echo the sharp edge provided by the lemon juice. The zest perfumes the cake while the juicy fruit cooks on the bottom, steaming the cake, and giving it a very tender and moist crumb. I love how two such simple ingredients can create something so new and different. I used yellow “golden delicious” apples to stay on the yellow theme, but any would work. You might want to adjust the amounts of lemon juice and sugar tho strike the right sweet/sour balance, especially if you use a more acidic apple.

2 big apples or 3 smaller ones

sugar

1 lemon

1 pinch turmeric

2 eggs

100g sugar (1/2 cup)

100g milk (a little under 1/2 cup) you can use buttermilk, or any kind of plant based milk or yogurt 

150g all purpose (plain) flour (1 heaping cup)

100g butter (melted) or oil (a little under 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

Start by zesting the lemon with a zester or fine grater into the bowl where you’ll mix the cake batter and set it aside.

Prepare your apples by peeling them, cutting them in half, and remove the seeds by inserting the tip of a paring knife and cutting around them in a circular motion. Make sure you place your thumb firmly on the apple so you you don’t accidentally stab yourself! Alternatively you can cut the apple in quarters and remove the core by cutting at a 45 angle against the cutting board.

Slice the apples in irregular shapes and thickness and tumble them into your cake pan or pie plate. A standard 8” is perfect but you could use a bigger one too, it would give you a thinner cake. Lining it with parchment paper or aluminum will make unmolding easier but its not completely necessary. Squeeze the lemon juice over the apples, using your hand or a strainer to catch the seeds, and sprinkle generously with sugar. Add more to taste. You want something that is assertively sharp and just sweet enough. Add a small pinch of turmeric and mix. (This is optional but will give you the most brilliant color)

For the batter it is just a matter of mixing everything in the bowl until just incorporated. You can start with the eggs and sugar, whisk until foamy and gradually add the ingredients, but you might be pleasantly surprised to see that you can simply mix everything at the same time. Just don’t over mix !

Bake in a 350F (180C) for 30 to 40 minutes or until  the blade of a knife comes out batter free. This cake doesn’t brown too much. Let it cool for a few minutes, then place a plate or platter over the dish, a tea towel on each side, and flip the whole lot upside down. Remove the pan and peel away the parchment and admire this glowing, steaming, magical ray of sunshine.