Apple Cake with Mascarpone Frosting

Servings :

Total Time:

10 slices

40 minutes

Ingredients

For the apple purée apples brown sugar cinnamon grated nutmeg juice of a small lemon For the Cake all purpose flour soft light brown sugar ground almonds baking powder cinnamon bicarbonate of soda salt cloves apple purée vegetable oil eggs Mascarpone frosting mascarpone icing sugar double cream vanilla extract ground cinnamon freshly grated nutmeg Toffee sauce unsalted butter brown sugar vanilla paste or extract salt heavy cream nuts to decorate optional

Step 1

Put all the ingredients for the apple purée in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-low heat. Keep stirring until the apples are soft and breaking up. Use an immersion blender or food processor to process to a smooth purée.

Step 2

Measure 300g (1 cup + 3 tbsp) of the apple purée and reserve the rest to be used between the layers. Add the vegetable oil and eggs to the 300g (10 1/2oz) apple purée and pulse until liquidised. Alternatively you can use spiced apple butter or apple sauce in this cake.

Step 3

Sift the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients and fold together with a spatula, making sure you scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Step 4

Divide the batter between the prepared cake tins. Bake for 22-25 minutes. The cake is ready when firm on top and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Step 5

Mix the mascarpone, icing sugar, spices and vanilla on low speed, gradually adding the cream. Gradually increase the speed until you have firm peaks, scraping the down the bottom and sides of the bowl halfway through. Do not over beat as the frosting may curdle.

Step 6

Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Transfer the remaining apple purée into a smaller piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the bottom cake layer.

Step 7

Pipe apple purée inside the ring and level. Ad a full layer of frosting over the top (see video for demo) and level. Repeat until you have assembled the cake.

Step 8

Use a side scraper to smooth the buttercream on the sides of the cake – using a turntable will make this easier. Freeze the cake for 30 minutes. Add another layer of frosting to cover the cake. Use a serrated side scraper to smooth the frosting (or a plain one for a smooth finish).

Step 9

Carefully drizzle some toffee sauce around the perimeter of the cake so that it drizzles down the sides. Top with a toffee apple or pipe any remaining frosting over the top of the cake to decorate. Add a few chopped nuts around the base of the cake to decorate (optional)

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