Apple Cider Cake
Make the most of comforting fall flavours with this cake.
Cake
½ cup (125 ml) butter
½ cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
1 cup (250 ml) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2 ml) nutmeg
½ teaspoon (2 ml) cinnamon
¾ cup (175ml) cider
2 tablespoons (30 ml) elderflower cordial
3 ripe apples
½ cup (125 ml) icing sugar
⅓ cup slivered almonds
Custard
5 egg yolks
⅓ cup (80 ml) granulated sugar
1 vanilla pod, scraped and seeded
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
3 tablespoons (45 ml) elderflower cordial
Cake Grease and line a 9 inch (23 cm) square baking tin.
In an electric mixer cream butter and sugar together. Meanwhile combine dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the eggs one at a time to the mixture blending well after each addition.
Add half the dry ingredients. Add the cider and cordial. Fold in the other half of the dry ingredients. Put mixture into the tin.
Slice the apples and arrange on top of the mixture. Sprinkle with slivered almonds.
Place batter into a 350 F 180 C oven for 35-45 mins or until a metal skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly. Dust with icing sugar.
Custard Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a large bowl. Add the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until pale and thick, about 2 minutes.
In a saucepan, bring the milk, and cream to a simmer over medium heat. Cut the vanilla pod open lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife, then add the seeds and pod to the milk. Take the vanilla pod out and set aside.
Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture; whisk until well blended.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and set it over low heat.
Cook, stirring the custard constantly with a wooden spoon, paying special attention to the corners of the pan, until the custard thickens slightly. The custard is ready when you can draw a clear line with a fingertip through the sauce on the back of the wooden spoon and it holds the shape of the line. This can take 5- 10 minutes.
Immediately strain the custard through a metal sieve into a medium bowl.
Add the elderflower syrup to taste.
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of City Style and Living Magazine.
