Caramel Apple Cake

I normally don't have a problem in dishing out beautiful stuff from the kitchen without dying to gum down huge portions of it. but i DID have a problem with this cake. you're gonna love it and your family and friends are gonna love you for it. what's given right below is my version of the original recipe sourced from the magazine mentioned. i got it from big fat baker's blog that was linked to some other blog i don't remember now. those who have a lot of time to pad around your kitchen can very well try the original one. those who have just about a little time like me can wheel in my version of the recipe. it's TOO GOOD NOT TO TRY!!

I adapted the recipe like this and produced a gorgeous feast for our palate so much so that my terribly fussy girl too had portions of it.

2 apples (cored, peeled and chopped into moderate slices)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup ajanta cream (this is slightly thicker than amul fresh cream; use your local brand)
1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup (stick) salted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 large eggs

Puree the apples by running it in the grinder with 4 tbsp water. i don't like apple pieces in my cake. beat butter and sugar till smooth. in a separate bowl blend the cream, orange juice, vanilla extract. sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and keep aside. beat the eggs one at a time into the butter-sugar beaten mix. add half the flour followed by half the cream-orange juice mix. beat again. add the remaining half of the flour mix followed by the cream mix. continue beating. add the apple puree. beat to a final smooth batter. pour in a greased cake tin and bake till done.

Caramel sauce

granulated sugar-1/2 cup
cornflour-11/2 tbsp (dissolved in 1/2 cup water)
softened butter-11/2 tbsp
ajanta fresh cream-1/2 cup

In a thick bottomed pan add the sugar on medium or medium high flame. after 2-3 mins add the cornflour in water. avoid stirring for a while. then stir it in from the sides occasionally. it doesn't burn so allow it to happily simmer. when it starts turning amber colour add the cream and butter. it may sizzle a little too heavily but it's not scary. keep stirring to blend well and turn off the flame. continue stirring till well-mixed. pour it hot over the cake. jab the cake at different points if you want the sauce to slide inside. and well, wait and see how fast it vanishes!!!

(ORIGINAL VERSION)

Adapted from Food Network Magazine’s Caramel Apple Cake

For the Caramel:
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

For the Cake:
• 2 Apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, or Crispin)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup Boiling Water

Butter a 3 inch deep, 8 or 9 inch diameter cake pan.
Prepare the Caramel. In a deep saucepan over medium-medium/high heat, combine the sugar and corn syrup until the sugar melts and the mixture turns a deep amber color. Be careful, because the mixture will be extremely hot. Turn down the heat to medium and carefully add the butter and cream. Be prepared that the mixture will bubble up vigorously. Stir with a long-handled spoon for about 3 minutes, until combined.
Allow the caramel to cool for a minute. Reserve 1/2 cup of the caramel in a container. Pour the remaining caramel into the cake pan. Allow the caramel to set for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice both apples into thin pieces. When the caramel has cooled, arrange the apple slices in an overlapping ring around the edge of the cake pan. Chop up the remaining apple slices and set aside.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a separate small bowl, mix together the sour cream, orange juice, and vanilla. Set aside. Use a hand mixer to beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. One at a time, beat in the eggs. Then, add half of the flour mixture, followed by half of the sour cream mixture. Continue beating to combine. Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and remaining sour cream. Beat until combined.
Stir in the 2/3 cup of boiling water, until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with the chopped apples.
Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the cake springs back when gently pressed. Cool completely in the pan.
To serve, bring about an inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan or skillet (with a wider diameter than the cake pan). Turn off the heat and place the bottom of the cake pan in the hot water. Allow the pan to sit in the hot water for 5-7 minutes to soften the caramel. Then, run a knife along he edges of the cake to loosen and invert the cake over your serving plate. Microwave the caramel for a few seconds at a time until it is softened. Drizzle the remaining caramel over the top of the cake. Serve immediately.

Pineapple Jam Squares

I picked this straight out of Vanitha Magazine. i should say this mag has given me some of my best recipes along with a rich roster of thoroughly informative articles. i highly recommend this mag to all south indians.
I know that pineapple and coconut and chocolate and coconut is a great combo for desserts. and i didn't hesitate in trying this out. it turned out great. it reminded me of the pastries available in the local bakers! well, the photograph sports a pineapple jam rectangle but that was the first piece i cut for the photograph. you have to trust me; the rest are/were all squares :)

margarine or vanaspathi-1/2 cup
powdered sugar-1/2 cup
egg-2
maida-11/2 cups
baking powder-3/4 tsp
pineapple jam-3-4 tbsp

powdered sugar-1/2 cup (again)
grated coconut-1 cup
milk-1-2 tbsp
vanilla essence-1 tsp

Beat the margarine and half cup powdered sugar till smooth. beat the eggs separately and pour into the sugar mix and stir for consistency. after sifting the maida and baking powder, hand-mix (you don't have a choice!) it with the egg-sugar mix. spread this into the bottom of a greased cake tin evenly. it's not a smooth job as the dough is quite tough. then apply the pineapple jam as one consistent layer atop this dough. mix the final set of ingredients (powdered sugar, grated coconut, milk and vanilla essence) separately in a small bowl. watch out when you add milk and ensure the mixture is not watery; it should be about a sprinkling consistency or like a paste but not beyond that. toss it on the surface layer of the batter and bake to perfection. you can let the sides turn really brown which gives those particular pieces a caramel taste (mine happened by mistake by the way but i loved it!!).

If the top layer mix is watery the baking time exceeds as the water has to be absorbed first for the baking process to start. so take care there as i already mentioned. do NOT opt for butter as you cannot follow the recipe: if you use butter the bottom layer becomes soft whereby you cannot spread the jam. this is an excellent dessert if topped with pineapple/vanilla ice cream. it got over in my house before i could try this combo but i can predict the taste.

The Variation

OK, it's safest to avoid experiments with cakes but i've started this nasty habit! i know thomas will gum it down as long as it tastes good. i tried this with my standard carrot cake recipe and won accolades.

grated carrot-11/2 cups
finely chopped pineapple-11/2 cups
cocoa powder-1 tbsp
instant coffee powder-1/2 tsp
nutmeg powder-11/2 tsp
cinnamon powder-11/2 tsp
and all the other ingredients mentioned below in the carrot cake recipe

I did not finely chop the pineapple. i ran it quickly in the chopper once. it's not the ideal thing to do as it becomes a sticky mass but nothing suffers.

You can add tutty fruity and cherries and use drinking chocolate powder instead of cocoa. it's voila again but consider the sweetness of the chocolate powder while adding the sugar. if you use drinking chocolate powder add 2-3 tbsp of it and reduce the sugar quantity to 21/4 cups.