Apple Cake a la Victoria

This is a yummy, light apple cake, which resulted as a matter of “no choice”.

We are in Australia now for half a year, living in a small apartment-hotel. We have a little kitchen with four spoons, four knives, four forks, a few cooking utensils, three pots, one frying pan and one rectangular pyrex.

At first it was fun not to bake, but after a while the urge hit me, and I decided that I can make this cake without a mixer, since the butter gets partially melted before putting together the cake. And the pyrex that is in this apartment is just the right size for this cake. I had thought to do it with plums, but it is now winter here in Australia, and there are no plums to be had. SO, I decided to make it with apples and see how it comes out. It turned out really yummy, and is disappearing fast. In order to make sure that the apples would soften enough in baking, I pre-“cooked” them in a bit of butter and a touch of sugar, just to soften them up. I then cooled them before preparing the cake.

Result was excellent.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 green apples, peeled and cut into very little cubes
• 1 Tablespoon sugar to sprinkle over apple cubes
• 1 Tablespoon butter in which to pre-“cook” the apple cubes
• a tiny pinch of cinammon to sprinkle over the apple cubes
• 50 grams (1.7 oz) butter, softened or melted
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup finely granulated white sugar (NOT powdered sugar). In Israel there is now a new type of sugar, called “Sucar Dak Dak” packaged by “Sugat”; I find it wonderful for baking; it is similar actually, to the regular American granulated sugar, which is finer than our regular sugar in Israel.
• 1.5 cups self-rising flour
• 1 container (200 ml – or 1 cup) sour cream (I use the 15% or 9% type of sour cream here in Israel)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinammon

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to medium heat (180 C or 350 F).
2. Wash, peel and cut apples into little cubes. Put in little pot with Tablespoon of butter, and Tablespoon of sugar, and slowly heat, mixing carefully, till apples are a tiny bit soft, but not too soft. Cool and set aside till needed.
3. In mixer bowl, place the very soft or partially melted butter, canola oil, sugar, and flour. Mix until crumbs are formed; stop mixer.
4. Remove 3/4 cup of the crumbs and set aside ;into this, mix the 1/8 teaspoon cinammon. (this will be the topping of the cake).
5. Into the remaining crumbs in mixer bowl, add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat till smooth, but don’t over-beat.
6. Pour batter into a greased cake pan which has been lined with baking paper and greased again. I use a 26 cm (approx 10 inch) cake tin.
7. Place the sugared, cubed, and partially cooked apples around the top of cake.
8. Evenly sprinkle the reserved crumbs over the apples.
9. Bake at 180 C or 350 F for about 40 minutes, till the cake is baked and has a nice golden-brown color. Do not overbake.
10. Remove from oven, and allow to cool.
11. The cake should be baked several hours before eating; excellent also the next day (after it has cooled, it should be covered before storing).