This Saturday (November 20th) from 10am – 2pm, Will Bake for Food will gather over 60 passionate foodies for a great bake sale and food drive held at the University Congregational Church in the U-District. Organized by Jenny Miller and Jenny Richards this fantastic event will help support Northwest Harvest.
I’ve donated a fresh batch of my Unbelievable Apple Cakes (recipe follows) to help out. You can help out by either purchasing goods or baking, too! To find out more info, check out the Will Bake for Food website.
Thank you to all those who have helped out and make it out to Will Bake for Food tomorrow, especially to the fabulous organizers! – Bake up some fun!! Kathy
Unbelievable Apple Cake with Cider Crème Anglaise and Cranberry Compote
Culinary historian and researcher Judy Amster gave me this recipe, touting its unique method and “interesting” ingredients—including Worcestershire! Quite simply, this is one of the best cakes I have ever made!
Makes 1 cake, serving 8 to 10
2 cups (about 10 ounces) unpeeled, diced Granny Smith apples
2 cups (about 10 ounces) unpeeled, diced red-skinned apples, such as Braeburn, Winesap, or Jonathan
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dark raisins
Cider Crème Anglaise (recipe follows)
Cranberry Compote (recipe follows)
Preheat an oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or a large Bundt pan and set aside.
Combine the apples and sugar in a large bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Stir in the oil, eggs, and Worcestershire. Add this mixture to the apple mixture all at once and mix well. Fold in the walnuts and raisins.
Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan. Rap the pan on the counter to release any bubbles.
Bake for about 1 1/4 hours, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when poked into cake. Cool the cake in the pan, then turn it out onto a cake plate.
To serve: Slice the cake into desired number of servings. Pool a little Cider Crème Anglaise on individual dessert plates, then place a cake slice on top. Spoon a little Cranberry Compote over each cake slice. Pass additional Crème Anglaise and Cranberry Compote at the table.
Cider Crème Anglaise
Makes 2 cups
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup half-and-half
3 tablespoons apple juice concentrate, undiluted
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well combined.
In a double boiler or medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water, heat the half-and-half until hot but not simmering. Whisk half of it into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Add the tempered egg mixture back into the hot half-and-half, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook slowly until the sauce just begins to thicken and become slightly shiny, about 5 minutes. (Do not overcook or it will turn into scrambled eggs!)
Immediately remove the bowl from over the hot water. Stir in the apple juice concentrate and place the bowl in another bowl of iced water to cool quickly. Stir often during cooling. Refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days.
Cranberry Compote
Makes 1 heaping cup
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple juice
Place all ingredients in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the cranberries pop and the mixture has a thick compote consistency, 5 to 6 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.
Refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days.
Chef’s Tips:
While cranberries are in season, buy a bag and stick them in the freezer. Then, at any time during the year, you can enjoy the cranberry compote. Try it over vanilla ice cream or plain cheesecake for a scrumptious treat!
Recipe from Dishing with Kathy Casey
