Surprise Me!
What to do with Apples? Make a Cake
Cakes & Cookies · Dessert · Gary and Jane Langton · Provencal Recipes · Taste
Too many times in my opinion, apples are overlooked when it comes to cake. They always seem to be the centre of attention in pies, tarts and crumbles. But not in this recipe. Here they get a chance to shine in a wonderfully versatile cake. Serve in the morning at breakfast with a steamy cup of fresh brewed coffee, or later in the day as a tea cake or even after supper for dessert with just a touch of ice cream or crème fraiche.
This is a great cake for those who prefer a more mildly sweet treat a recipe from our friends at Mas d’Augustine for lucky guests at their B&B near Uzès.
Apple Cake
Apples are centre stage in this tea or breakfast cake.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
- 500 gr apples Granny Smith or similar
- 3 eggs
- 25 gr ground almonds
- 225 gr butter
- 200 gr caster sugar
- 25 gr vanilla sugar
- 225 gr self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- butter for greasing the tin
- lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 160C (fan assisted).
Line the bottom and sides of a 24cm loose bottom cake tin with baking parchment.
Peel and core the apples.
Chop into cubes and toss in the lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
Set aside.
Whisk the butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl until thick, pale and creamy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Sift together the flour and baking powder and fold gently into the mixture.
Gently stir in the ground almonds and chopped apple and mix thoroughly.
Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour.
Check the cake after 30 minutes and, if it is becoming too brown, place a piece of tin foil or baking parchment loosely over the top.
After one hour, check to see if the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer into its centre – it should come out clean.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
Serve cold on its own for tea or breakfast, or warm with crème fraiche, mascarpone or vanilla ice cream, as a delicious dessert.
*I use vanilla sugar in this recipe but, if you can’t find any, use a tsp of vanilla essence and 225g of castor sugar.
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Gary and Jane Langton
When Jane was younger she wanted to be a show-jumper and, although she had some success, Jane knew she could never afford a horse that could take her to the top. Similarly, Jane enjoyed cooking and would have loved to be a chef, but she always knew that the unsocial hours would never fit with raising her family. So she stepped into the world of property construction and interior design, where she enjoyed a successful and fun filled career.
Gary went to a nautical school and always dreamed of going to sea, captaining his own ship. Although he managed to be selected for officer training in the Royal Navy at an early age, by the time he was 18 he no longer had 20:20 vision and his chosen field in the RN was no longer open to him. For a short period Gary studied quantity surveying before finally choosing a career in banking, during which time he lived for a period in New York before returning to London and ultimately running a global business team (involving much travel).
Jane and Gary met, via the internet, in February 2005 and their relationship took off. By 2007 they were married and, in early 2009, they both decided that enough was enough - the constant travelling with their jobs, rushed weekends together and too much politics in their business lives finally taking its toll.
So they decided on a total change of life. Jane had always dreamed of running a boutique hotel or upmarket B&B and pushed this idea which was accepted by Gary as he couldn’t come up with an alternative plan. The couple finally decided on France (proximity to their children in the UK and good weather) and spent about 18 months viewing 100+ properties in the South of France, from Provence to almost Spain and back, before finally settling (in December 2010) on an old stone house (and former silk farm) in La Bruguiere, a small village about 10 minutes from Uzes, France’s first Duchy and a beautiful little town.
The house renovation took 17 months and they first opened for business in summer 2012. As they end their sixth year in France the couple have no regrets and remain positive about their future.
Jane has finally managed to fulfil one of her childhood dreams of cooking professionally for others and continues to ride her horse. Gary works front of house at Mas d'Augustine their chambres d’hôte and (when asked) offers business advice to friends/associates in their location, whilst amusing himself by playing (bass) in a local French group. The couple recently started an additional business to project manage renovation works/remodelling (and, if requested, provide interior design) of holiday homes for absentee owners.
Life is too short to stand still and wait for it – Jane and Gary are firm believers that life is for the taking. Enjoy Jane's recipes here or spend a couple of nights to savour her cooking first hand.
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