A deliciously spiced apple cake recipe slightly adapted from a recipe found in Signe Johansen’s Scandinavian cookery book Scandilicious.
Dreaming of apple cake
I dreamt about apple cake last night.
True story.
This is likely because I had set aside today, Sunday, to deal with the contents of my refrigerator. This included three beautiful Bramley apples I’d requested my teenage son buy for me the other day for a commissioned recipe and then decided not to use.
It’s been an incredibly busy few weeks here in my kitchen with loads of projects and deadlines. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that I do this for a living, but right now, I’m feeling like everything I’ve been making and writing about has been brand-led, leaving very little time for just experimenting, playing in the kitchen and blogging for the sheer fun of it.
Getting creative in the kitchen
I might have consumed a fair few frozen pizzas over the last few weeks as I tried to meet deadlines.
Sorry, family.
Nonetheless, I’m reasonably caught up with things now, which means more time for getting creative in the kitchen and using up the contents of my fridge.
I started with this spiced apple cake, a recipe I adapted from one found in Signe Johansen’s Scandilicious. The original recipe calls for plain and wholegrain spelt flours and soured cream, none of which I had. I did have plain flour, the very end of a bag of rye flour, and some thick-set natural yoghurt instead.
These were wholly successful recipe substitutions, resulting in a deliciously warming spiced apple cake, perfect with an afternoon cup of tea on this dark and stormy Sunday. We’re currently being blasted by an ice-cold Arctic wind, and a slice (or two) of this cake is just what is needed.
I also used freshly ground nutmeg and cardamom for this recipe. Not because I like making more work for myself but because I never buy the ready-ground versions. For as often as I use nutmeg and cardamom I prefer to keep the whole spices on hand and grind them if and when they are needed.
It totally works.
Channelling my inner domestic goddess
Other things I’ve made today (I’m feeling all domestic goddess so I want to show off and tell you!):
- Shetland hill lamb is currently in the slow cooker with some Shetland-grown onions, garlic, and fennel. It will be served with boiled Shetland potatoes, mashed buttery Shetland carrots, and locally grown steamed spinach on the side (see a theme here? I’m trying to use up the contents of my veg box!).
- Beetroot ketchup made with roasted Shetland beetroot, the other half of the Bramley apple left over from making this cake, purple carrot and some beet root tops (not sure if this has worked yet – will have burgers this week and find out!). I adapted Kate’s recipe at The Veg Space for my experiment.
- I batch-cooked tomato pasta sauce using loads of overripe heirloom plum tomatoes, leeks, courgette, onion, garlic, and most of two small jars of sun-dried tomatoes in oil and roasted peppers in oil (needing to be used up), as well as some spices. I’ll freeze this in smaller batches for use over the winter.
- Bread rolls – pictured below, to serve with our lamb dinner.
What are your favourite recipes for using up the contents of your fridge, or for those super cold winter days like today (I know it’s only just turned Autumn but it feels like winter!)? Let me know in the comments!
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Spiced Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 150 grams butter room temperature
- 250 grams light brown soft sugar
- 2 medium free-range eggs
- 150 grams plain flour
- 50 grams rye flour (or wholemeal)
- 50 grams ground almonds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon plus extra
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground cardamom (about 6 large pods)
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Shetland sea salt
- 110 grams plain natural yoghurt
- 1.5 Bramley apples
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 C fan/ 180 C and lightly grease and line a 22 cm round cake tin.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then add the eggs, one at a time, with a spoonful of the flour, beating well.
- Sift over the flours, raising agents, spices and salt and add the yogurt. Beat well and spoon into the prepared baking tin.
- Peel, core and finely slice the apples, arranging in a circular pattern starting from the outside and working your way in to the centre.
- Sprinkle with extra cinnamon and bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes (according to the original recipe). My fan oven required an hour to bake the cake fully.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight tin for 2-3 days.
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I love a spiced cake at this time of year. It really does provide some much needed warmth. I love the sound of your veg box. We’ve been getting some supplies from our allotment but we can’t grow much at this time of year.
This cake sound divine I love cardamon and i have a load of apples to use up. Your photography is beautiful too.
Any sort of apple desert is a favourite of mine, and this looks so comforting and delicious.
This apple cake sounds delicious. I’m definitely bookmarking this for Christmas.
Oh my god, this looks so delicious! Will be giving it a try during christmas break!
the combination of apple and cinnamon is my favourite. the photography is on point
This looks absolutely divine! I love the combinations of spices and apples but am more used it in the form of a crumble. I love the idea of this being a cake, and plan on trying it soon!
With all this on the go you do sound like a domestic goddess 🙂 I like adapting recipes, based on what I have at home. It is the most frugal, logical and sustainable thing to do.
The beetroot ketchup sounds intriguing…
Beautiful photos!
This looks and sounds absolutely delicious! I might have to give this a try
This looks awesome. I know what you mean about deadlines etc and I am so happy that such a wonderful cook as yourself has frozen pizza too!! Kaz x
This looks great, apple and cinnamon always work well as a combo in cakes they make them tasty very good indeed.
Apple cake is my absolute favourite and this one looks amazing. A real party piece. Thanks for another great recipe.
Ooh that looks amazing, Picmonkey adjusted images or not, amazing! I love the sound of the beetroot ketchup too!
Angela x
This looks gorgeous! My mum would love this cake so I’ll have to share the recipe with her x
Oh wow this looks absolutely tremendous. Apple and cinnamon are such a great combo xxx
This looks and sounds beautiful! I love all the apple recipes in the autumn months 🙂
This looks so good! Apple dishes are definitely perfect for Autumn/Winter, and anything cake-based is a win for me too!
oh my, that looks utterly divine and I just love your photography. The mix of plaine rye and ground almonds sounds interesting. I bet it’s wonderfully moist
The apple cake looks absolutely stunning and I like the sound of beetroot ketchup too
You have such a talent, everything you put in your blog has me salivating. I love anything like this, apples, cinnamon, cake, what is not to love? I love it.
Wow this is Autumnal spread, yesterday was such a gloomy day this would of been perfect to warm up and feel cosy – I must try picmonkey – your photos look excellent.
beautiful pictures and just love spices with apple cake – have made a few of these myself recently. Love the addition of cardamon too
This looks so tasty and spiced apple at this time of the year is the perfect thing to eat x
I looove the fact that you dream about food. I do occasionally, though more often my dreams are like some utterly surreal sci-fi storyline that makes very little sense. 😀
You are a veritable domestic goddess, truly! Your cake looks spectacular and just right for a cold and stormy day. I really should try playing around in picmonkey, you’ve inspired me to have a go. AND I didn’t even realise you could get ground cardamom and ground nutmeg.
Cake always favorite for most people! the apple cake look very yummy. So it will be perfect one for everybody. Very good texture with better elements. Thanks!!
What a beautiful cake, just right for a drizzly autumn day with a nice cup of tea. And I’m so pleased you’ve been making beetroot ketchup too – beetroot is the new tomato!
Your cake and bread rolls look wonderful – just right for a rainy day – we are in the midst of crazy spring weather when as soon as it rains and we adjust the sun comes out and vice versa. Even so I could have some of that cake with a cuppa right now
Sounds like the perfect Sunday to me! Very impressive cake for a day off too! Thanks so much for the mention – some awesome apple cakes here.
You are awesome and an inspiration to us all. It looks and sounds like the perfect night!
Apple cakes and batch cooking sound like the perfect rainy Sunday to me. I had to work, booo, but now roasting up a big tray of veggies for dinner.
What a stunning Apple Cake, love all the spices in it too. Your photographs are also very beautiful and tempting!
This apple cake looks just the perfect thing for an Autumn night! I can just imagine being curled up with a big of tea and plate of your spiced apple cake, yum!
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