Apple Crumble Cake

A warmly spiced cake studded with sweet apples and finished with a silky maple cream cheese frosting.

This recipe is sponsored by Dutoit Agri.

A good apple crumble is hard to beat, but reimagining it as a extravagant layer cake really just elevates this humble, delicious dessert into something spectacular.

This bake is a two-layer showstopper, packed with Dutoit Granny Smith apples, topped with a delicious crumble and sandwiched with a maple cream cheese icing. As if that’s not enough, a crown of finely sliced Dutoit apples crown the top of the cake in delicate lacework.

Dutoit Granny Smith apples lend a wonderful tartness to the sweetness of the maple syrup in the frosting and the warmth of the spices in the cake.

FOR THE CRUMBLE

• 90g cake flour
• 60g butter, melted
• 50g brown sugar
• 20g flaked almonds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

METHOD

1. Combine the cake flour, brown sugar, flaked almonds and cinnamon in a bowl.
2. Pour over the melted butter and stir roughly with a knife until the mixture starts to come together – you want it to form clumps.
3. Set aside in the fridge to cool while you make the cake.

FOR THE APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE

• 5 Dutoit Granny Smith apples (approx. 400g)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 330g cake flour
• 150g brown sugar
• 100g muscavado sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarb
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon allspice
• 3 large eggs
• 150g sour cream
• 250ml oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Dutoit Granny Smith apples for decorating (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease and line two 20cm round cake tins with baking paper.
2. Prepare the 5 Dutoit Granny Smith apples by peeling, coring and dicing them.
3. Add the lemon juice to the Dutoit Granny Smith apples and set aside.
4. In a bowl add the cake flour, brown and muscavado sugars, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices. Whisk together to combine.
5. Drop the Dutoit Granny Smith apples into the flour mixture and toss to combine.
6. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the 3 large eggs just to combine. Add the oil, sour cream and vanilla and mix.
7. Add this to the apple and flour mixture and stir to combine.
8. Divide the cake batter between the two lined tins. Sprinkle about three quarters of the crumble on one of the cakes. This will be the bottom tier.
9. Sprinkle the remaining crumble in the center of the second cake, leaving about a 3cm gap around the edge of the tin.
10. With a mandolin or sharp knife finely slice the remaining two Dutoit Granny Smith apples as finely as possible in rounds and cut each in two to form half-rounds.
11. Arrange the apple slices around the edge of the cake, in the area without any crumble. Place the slices so they stand upright and form arcs and spirals, creating an overall pattern around the cake.
12. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Keep an eye on the cakes from about 30 minutes – if the apples on the top start to brown, cover that cake with a piece of foil.
13. Once out of the oven, let the cakes rest for 15 minutes before removing from the tins and leaving to cool completely before frosting.

FOR THE MAPLE CREAM CHEESE ICING

• 200g full fat cream cheese
• 80g butter, cubed at room temperature
• 60g brown sugar
• 60ml maple syrup

METHOD

1. Beat the cream cheese until it has a light, airy consistency.
2. Add the butter and continue beating until combined.
3. Add the brown sugar and continue to beat the mixture until smooth.
4. Add the maple syrup to the frosting and mix until just combined – be careful not to overmix.
5. Once the cakes are completely cool, place the bottom tier (without the apple decorations) on your cake stand and top it with all of the frosting.
6. Place the remaining cake on top and lightly dust with icing sugar to complete the assembly.

Recipe by adventureswithsugar.com