Since Xmas I have a new toy: a new baking tin. It’s a classic one concerning the size, however, there is no non-stick coating. So I studied the instruction & decided to work exactly as recommended – meaning to use butter generously for the baking tin & finish w/ flour. (To prevent becoming this last step a mess I worked over my sink when adding the flour, shaking the baking tin & turning it upside down to get rid of the excess flour.)
What now? Which cake?
I decided to do an apple cake – mainly inspired by some posts I read during the last weeks in my food blog universe. It’s an apple cake out of mixing a nice, spiced batter w/ lots of small pieces of apples. Furthermore I thought about a delicious white lemon icing on top – as well for decoration maybe some green pistachios …
It’s winter. So there are Boskoop apples which I prefer for any baking adventure. I started with 3 of them …
Coming back to my new toy.
I like baking tins & I’m always captivated when any Instagram posts appear in my stream sporting new types of baking tins. There seems to be a dazzling array of them … Of course I know that I cannot buy any lovely piece I see: my kitchen pantry is limited, my use of baking tins is also limited … & btw I’ve committed myself to a minimalized kitchen.
Baking tins are available not only in lots of designs, but also in lots of sizes, volumes … What is the standard?
There is no standard size. It always depends on your baking adventures.
I use to bake for my better half & me resp. for about 4-5 people having dessert after dinner. Therefore I’m bound to use smaller baking tins. This means especially baking tins w/ a diameter of about 20 cm and/or a volume of 1000 ml or 1500 ml.
My new toy fits into this range.
How to deal w/ recipes? At 1st I hate it absolutely when coming across a recipe for a cake & getting no hint which size of baking tin is in use. (Of course you may guess from the amounts of flour, sugar, butter …). Fortunately, normally there is a notice about the baking tin. If it’s the same size – fine. If it’s bigger (or smaller): I suggest you calculate the volume & compare it to your baking tin. Correspondingly you can adjust the amounts of the ingredients.
So: my new toy! (Isn’t is gorgeous?)
The cake is a simple approach.
What do we need?
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- mixed spice (cinnamon, coriander, caraway, nutmeg, ginger, cloves – all ground, store-bought)
- butter
- sugar
- vanilla sugar
- eggs
- apples.
Next steps:
- Butter & flour the cake tin.
- Presset the oven to 160° C fan.
- Peel, trim & chop the apples.
Combine flour, baking powder & spice mix in a bowl.
Mix butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, a pinch of salt & eggs w/ your handheld electric mixer & pour the mess all over the flour mix.
Mix w/ your handheld electric mixer until creamy.
Add the apples & fold in.
All marches into the prepared baking tin & the baking tin marches in the preheated oven saying there for about 45 min. (Make the famous test – maybe add another 5 min or so.)
Afterwards let the cake cool down for about 15-20 min. Then just let the cake tumble out. (It worked perfectly: the cake came out of the baking tin w/o any damages! Buttering & flouring had worked …)
When the cake is at room temperature grab the icing sugar and add – spoon b spoon – some lemon juice, until the icing is creamy. I liked a thick icing for my apple cake, but you may create an icing more fluid …
… & just add some chopped pistachios, just for the good looks!
Enjoy!
- 80 g butter
- 80 g sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar (heaped – 1 packet)
- 3 eggs
- a pinch of salt
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder (heaped – 1 packet)
- 1 tsp spice mix (heaped)
- 350 g apple bits (about 2-3 apples)
- some butter
- some flour
- 100 g icing sugar
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp pistacchios (chopped)
- handheld electric mixer
- baking tin (about 1400 ml, Ø 19 cm)
- Preheat the oven to 160° C fan.
- Distribute some butter all over the baking tin – only inside! Add some flour & shake well. The inside of the baking tin should be covered completely – thinly.
- Clean, peel & trim the apples; chop into small bits.
- Mix butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt & eggs w/ the handheld electric mixer.
- Mix flour, baking powder & spice mix.
- Combine everything.
- Add the apple bits.
- Pour the mess into the baking tin.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 min. Make the famous test w/ the wooden pin – if necessary add another 5 min.
- Let the cake cool down for about 15-20 min in the baking tin; then let the cake tumble out.
- When at room temperature mix icing sugar & lemon juice until thick enough for the icing you prefer. Distribute on top of the cake & sprinkle w/ chopped pistacchios.
