Caramelised Apple Cake with Hazelnut Streusel
Buttery cake with caramelised apples folded through the batter, topped with a cinnamon-spiced crumb topping and toasted hazelnuts. The apples are cooked first until deeply browned in their own caramel, then swirled into tender cake batter. Baked until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp butter
- ¾ cups light brown muscovado sugar
- 1 tbsp light brown muscovado sugar
- 2 dessert apples, peeled and cut into ⅔" pieces
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 7 tbsp milk
- ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cups demerara sugar
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar
- 3 ½ tbsp cold butter
- 3 tbsp toasted chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
- 1
Heat butter and sugar in a large frying pan over medium heat until sugar melts.
- 2
Add apples and cook for about 5 minutes until browned and sauce turns rich caramel. Cool completely.
- 3
Make the topping by rubbing together flour, sugar, cinnamon and cold butter until crumbly with pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Stir in hazelnuts and set aside.
- 4
Heat oven to 350°F/325°F fan/gas 4.
- 5
Beat remaining butter and sugar until light and creamy.
- 6
Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla extract.
- 7
Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and milk in two additions, alternating dry and wet ingredients.
- 8
Stir cooled apples through the mixture.
- 9
Grease a 7.75" removable-base cake tin, line base with baking paper.
- 10
Spoon cake mixture in, smooth the top, then sprinkle streusel topping over.
- 11
Scatter with remaining sugar and hazelnuts.
- 12
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- 13
Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a baking rack, remove paper and cool completely.
Tips
Caramelise the apples fully before cooling for deeper flavour and colour contrast.
Keep the streusel topping ingredients cool so butter stays in distinct pieces rather than becoming a paste.
Alternate wet and dry ingredients when adding to the creamed butter mixture to avoid overmixing.
Good to Know
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Prepare and bake the day before. Store in airtight container. Reheat gently at 160C for 10 minutes if desired.
Serve at room temperature or slightly warm with yoghurt, cream or ice cream.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip cooling the caramelised apples to avoid them breaking down further and losing texture in the batter.
Do not overwork the streusel mixture or the butter will become paste rather than remaining in distinct pieces.
Do not open the oven door before 50 minutes to avoid sudden temperature drop affecting the rise.