Thanksgiving cakes – Apple Yogurt Cake and Flavoured Coffees

Written by on in Cakes, Drinks, Recipes, Travel & Exploration

I love apple cake. Do you?

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…whether it’s making it with my 4-year old daughter’s class….or at home! This autumn, this is my most baked recipe – on average, we make 1 a week (which is why you’re seeing photos of many vintages).

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What I love about this recipe is

  1. The fact that it bakes like a cake but slices like a slice – know what I mean?
  2. Combines the cake and apples in perfect proportion;
  3. Is as easy to make as 1-2-3; even by 4 year olds…who love apple cake!
  4. Will be gone in no time….;
  5. Elicits compliments from colleagues 🙂 like no-man’s business;

So when I took in one cake on Friday, I had no idea what the reception would be like. In the past, I’ve attempted to wow my colleagues and office mates with salted chocolate caramel shortbread and scones, both of which received the thumbs up. Now the thing is, I’m so quick to offer delights that I surprise myself sometimes.

Anyhow, Friday morning was apple cake morning. It had me out of bed….early but in no time I was done and off the cake went with me. I tell you, the compliments that followed, had me gushing with pride. Everything from ‘the best apple cake I’ve ever had’ to ‘moreish’ and ‘my favourite of all the things you’ve brought in’! And then it occurred to me that I had now found the perfect fix to any feelings of sadness- bake, bake, bake BUT take to the right people….for surely their words are sufficient to cause a swelling of hearts and heads…till joy, peace and confidence is restored.

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And the fact that sixteen 4-year olds put their stamp of approval on it….for Thanksgiving means more to me than say….hmmmm,….I’m thinking!

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If you’re looking for a quick fix – here’s the recipe…and it is perfect for breakfast with some custard or yogurt, and even with coffee!

This is a yoghurt cake base, topped with plain or cinnamon-sugared apple slices,

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topped with sugar crystals…a la choquette (from Paris) – optional though.

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..so don’t feel as though the cake suffers without it….NOT AT ALL

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and/or pecans and baked for 18-20 minutes…..

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Ingredients

Butter, to grease the tart tin
3 tablespoons almond meal (optional)
115 g plain white flour (about 1 rounded cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
90g granulated sugar
60ml oil
75ml plain or vanilla yoghurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
2 cooking apples (like Jonagold), peeled, cored and sliced thinly
2-3 tablespoons pecans (or other nuts like walnuts, almonds), chopped
Optional – cinnamon sugar (mix 2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder and 2 tablespoons of caster sugar together) or choquette sugar or any other topping of your choice

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade ( about 350 degrees Fahrenheit)

Butter a shallow tart tin (26 cm or slightly larger) and flour with the almond meal by sprinkling over the base and sides

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Making the cake

Basically, mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl and then stir together.

– Dry ingredients: In a bowl, mix the white flour, baking powder and the pinch of salt. Sieve the mixture twice to incorporate air.

Add the sugar into the flour mixture and whisk together.

– Wet ingredients: Put the oil, yogurt and vanilla extract into a bowl. Add the eggs and whisk together.

Then make a well in the centre of the bowl with the flour mixture. Put the yoghurt mixture in the centre and using a spatula, mix well, from the outside in. Ensure that you scoop the bottom up as well so you don’t end up with lumps of unmixed flour.

Pour batter into butter and almonded tart tin

Sprinkle some almond flour on the top of the cake batter.

If you like, toss your apple slices in the cinnamon sugar.

Whatever you decide, lay the apple slices in a pattern.

If using a rectangular tin, arrange them in rows. If using a round tin, arrange them in circle keeping the slices as close to the outer edge as possible, then when you’re done…fill the core with more apple slices

Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top. If using choquette sugar, sprinkle over the top as well

Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 18 – 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, insert a tester into the centre of the cake to check for doneness. If it is not, leave for another 2-3 minutes and then bring out.

Let it cool down, only a little bit.

Cut into slices or wedges to serve….warm or cold, on any day of the week, month of the year. Perfect with a cup of scented coffee (or tea…or just plain water)!

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Flavoured coffee

To jazz up (instant) coffee, here are 3 quick flavour tips: vanilla coffee, cinnamon coffee and cardamom coffee (aka Coffee Arabica-style). All you need – vanilla sugar in some coffee, or cinnamon sugar (essentially cinnamon powder and sugar mixed together).

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My absolute favourite is having coffee with cardamom.

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If I’m too lazy, I’ll split a couple of coffee beans and pop them in my mug full of coffee, sugar, milk and all. And then play cardamom football when I’m drinking it 🙂

Its just as easy, say…with an extra minute or so of work to crush the pods, discard the husks and grind the seeds. This then goes in the coffee and can be strained out or left in.

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Top up with milk, garnish with split/used vanilla pods and cinnamon sticks as stirrers and let your hair down.

Perfect on any day of the week! Well, I think so

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32 Comments

  5. Oh my does this look yummy! I came to your site to see how you make your fondue, as I think we’re going to have some Fun Friday Fondue action (it was going to be Tues, but the English teacher in me couldn’t resist the alliteration 😉 ), but I got sidetracked by all the other recipes. It’s worse than Pinterest! 😉

    Thanks again for the yumminess – can’t wait to try the chocolate. And now that the postal strike seems to be over, you should be getting a PROPER thank you! 🙂

    Reply

  8. oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyggggggggggggoooooooooooooooddddddddd! really the bestest ever apple cake i have ever seen… no wonder it disappears that way… but like all things wonderful, i am allergic to eggs!!! please please tell me how to make this go eggless? i so want to bake this… sorry for being a pain, but this one i DO want to have… thanks for any help at all 🙂

    Reply

  9. […] love cardamom, it is the treasure of my spice pull-out drawer: I love it in my rice, and in my coffee and in my curries…but till now, I’d never tried it sweet. Familiar strawberries past […]

    Reply

  25. Happy Thanksgiving to EVERYONE

    Duo dishes….the apples lend themselves to being made beautiful…thankfully!It is quite easy, I start at one end and then work my way round, trying to keep the same distance from one slice to the next and from the edge.

    Michaela, looking forward to hearing the news

    Unplanned cooking, Mimi, Beth, Epicurean’s market…Thanks

    Farida, on the contrary, I am shocked at how light this cake is…with the yoghurt – unbelievably so!

    Reply

  26. I love apple cakes of all sorts. I make a simpler one without yogurt, but I bet yogurt adds nicely and makes the cake moist and dense. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  31. This looks great. I love yogurt, and as an apple-obsessive, I am definitely going to have to try it. This will be my first Butterfly-inspired venture. And I may even try a flavored coffee, if I can wake up enough to do that tomorrow morning 🙂 Thanks! Michaela

    Reply

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