Narelle shares this recipe inspired by grandmother, Kath
The scent of apples and warm spices always brings this Dutch Apple Cake to mind, a recipe that has quietly travelled though my family for generations. I have enjoyed this cake countless times, and I tend to make it mostly during the colder months as there is just something so comforting about serving an apple dessert warm with custard.
I love just about any apple dessert, but this one is especially delicious as the apples are sprinkled with a fragrant blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. The batter comes together in minutes, and the whole recipe takes little longer to prepare than it does to peel and slice three apples.
My father fondly recalls eating this when he was young, so this recipe tradition has been in our family for roughly 70 years.
My inspiration
I absolutely love this photo of my grandmother. It’s from a much earlier time in her life than the other pictures I’ve shared, and there’s something especially touching about seeing her so young. I can’t help but smile at the fact that both she and the child in her arms are sporting such wonderfully fashionable headwear! The way she carries her handbag, paired with her smartly styled belt completes the look beautifully.
“This recipe brings back memories of eating at my Grandmother's table — simple, sweet moments that have stayed with my throughout my life.”
Sharing this cake with my grandmother was always a delight. I’m not sure when the tradition began, but once I could drive, she asked me to drop by her home on Friday afternoons after work. This was our time to catch up and I never left empty handed. If the Dutch Apple Cake was on offer it was always accompanied by a large glass jar of custard. I actually still have that jar all of these years later and often use it to store baked treats.
What makes it so special
- This recipe is the ultimate comfort food.
- Its simple, natural ingredients come together to create a luscious apple dessert with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Add either warm creme anglaise (custard) or a lovely smooth vanilla bean ice cream to top it off.
Ingredients
- Apples: Apples are definitely the hero of the dish - I use Granny Smith apples for this recipe
- Eggs: I always use large (aprox 60gm / 2oz) fresh, free-range eggs
- Caster sugar or superfine sugar: Caster sugar because it dissolves more easily than granulated sugar, resulting in a smoother texture.
- Unsalted butter: I recommend unsalted cold butter, the cold butter will give a lighter result
- Milk: Full Cream Milk
- Nutmeg: I have pictured whole nutmegs but this is because I had them in the cupboard, ground nutmeg would be perfectly fine.
- Ground Cinnamon: a perfect marriage with apple, you use a combination of nutmeg & cinnamon in this recipe
- White or granulated sugar: combined with the cinnamon and nutmeg for the topping
Instructions
Follow these step-by-step photos to see how the Dutch Apple cake comes together. From rubbing in the butter to arranging the sliced apples on the top, each step is super simple and quick.
Step 1: Sift the flour and mix in the sugar & salt. Add the 3oz butter - make sure it is cold
Step 2: Rub in the butter between your fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
Step 3: Beat the eggs
Step 4: Add the milk to the eggs and combine
Step 5: Pour the combined egg and milk in to the butter, flour and sugar mixture
Step 6: Stir until combined
Step 7: Spread cake batter in to greased and lined lamington tin
Step 8:Combine white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg
Step 9: Peel, core and slice the apples. I like to slice them around 5mm thick
Step 10: Arrange in rows on the top of the batter
Step 9: Sprinkle the combined sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg over the top of the apples
Step 10: Melt the remaining butter and drizzle over the cake before placing it in the oven for 40 mins or until golden brown.
Substitutions
Your can substitute the apple for any fruit that benefits from being roasted in the oven:
- Apricots – What is not to love about a cooked apricot? Try mixing some ground cardamon with the sugar and sprinkle over before placing in the oven or a drizzle of honey and some chopped lightly roasted pistachios sprinkled over once you take it out of the oven to finish.
- Plums – Blood Plums are my favourite but any plum will do.
- Peaches or Nectarines – The flavour is a little more subtle but still delicious.
- Pears - vanilla sugar or maybe a nutmeg and sugar blend for the top
Equipment
To make this Dutch Apple Cake you will need a couple of bowls, a peeler and a lamington tin.
Storage
This cake tastes best on the day it is made but I would never say no to next day left overs. If you store leftovers in the fridge make sure you bring the cake back to room temperature or heat slightly in the microwave before eating. It will keep well for up to 2-3 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 2 months — just thaw it in the fridge overnight before eating.
Can be paired with
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Dutch Apple Cake:
- Creme Anglaise
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Double Cream
Share your family’s treasured recipe and the story that comes with it, so we can preserve these beautiful MEMORIES together.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F, Grease and line a Lamington Tin (30 x 20cm rectangular pan) with parchment paper
- Sift flour, sugar and salt together in to a bowl
- Rub in the butter to the flour mixture by rubbing the butter and flour together through your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stop as soon as there are no large lumps of butter.
- Beat the egg in a small bowl and combine with the milk
- Stir the the egg and milk mixture in to the flour and butter mixture until just combined
- Spread batter evenly in to the lined tin
- Peel, core and slice the apples in to thin slices
- Place in rows standing upright on the top of the cake batter.
- Combine the white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the apples
- Melt the butter and drizzle it over the apples
- Cook in the preheated oven for around 40 mins or until golden
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