PURE APPLE CAKE
Prep + cooking: 3 hrs + cooling, refrigeration + standing. Serves 8.
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways,
seeds scraped
1 cinnamon quill
⅔ cup (150g) caster sugar
½ cup (125ml) apple juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
80g unsalted butter, chopped 10 large green apples (about 2kg) 2 tsp golden syrup, warmed
¼ cup golden syrup, extra
200g mascarpone
1 Preheat oven to 180˚C (160˚C fan). Grease a 20cm springform cake pan; line base with baking paper. Place pan on a baking paper-lined oven tray.
2 Place vanilla seeds and bean, cinnamon, sugar, juices and butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5mins until reduced slightly. Transfer to a bowl.
3 Working with 2 apples at a time, peel and core 8 apples. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut apples into 3mm slices. Add sliced apple to bowl; toss to coat. Drain apple (reserve syrup), then layer in cake pan, each slice overlapping by half. Cover centre with smaller slices to create a tight fit. Press down firmly twice during layering, pouring any excess liquid back into saucepan.
4 Peel remaining apples, leaving stems intact. Slice (removing seeds), lightly coat and arrange slices as before. Cover pan with a sheet of baking paper, then with foil.
Long, slow cooking concentrates the flavour of the apples.
Bake 1hr, then remove foil and baking paper. Reduce oven to 140˚C (120˚C fan); bake, brushing occasionally with reserved syrup, a further 1hr or until apple is soft and a knife pushes easily into centre. Cool to room temperature. Cover cake with baking paper, then cover pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4hrs or until cold and firm.
5 Run a knife around cake and a hot cloth around outside of pan. Release ring from pan and remove. Slide base of a round tart pan under cake and carefully transfer to a serving plate, removing tart pan base as you do so. Stand cake at room temperature for 1hr. Brush top of apple cake with warmed golden syrup. Serve with extra golden syrup stirred into mascarpone.