Fall

APPLE, HAZELNUT AND ROSEMARY CAKE

by:
May 21, 2017
1
1 Ratings
APPLE, HAZELNUT AND ROSEMARY CAKE
Photo by Emma Boyd
  • Serves 12
Author Notes

For me, this cake embodies autumn. With its warming spices, crunchy hazelnuts and fresh apple chunks, it is perfect served with a cup of hot milky tea. The rosemary may seem an unusual addition, but it really enhances the flavour and adds an almost savoury note. —Jordan Rondel, The Caker

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the cake:
  • 150 grams butter, softened
  • 125 grams light muscovado sugar or coconut sugar (or regular soft brown sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 organic eggs
  • 150 grams flour
  • 50 grams ground almonds
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
  • 50 grams roasted hazelnuts, chopped
  • 2 apples, peeled, cored and cubed
  • leaves from one large sprig fresh rosemary (about 2 tbsp)
  • For the icing:
  • 150 grams butter
  • 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
  • 125 grams cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • a few Fresh sprigs of Rosemary for decoration (optional)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 175C fan bake. Line a 22cm diameter tin with baking paper.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Add vanilla and then eggs, one at a time. Sift in flour, ground almonds, spices and baking powder. Add yoghurt and mix. Stop mixer once all ingredients are combined. Do not over mix.
  3. By hand, fold through hazelnuts, apple and rosemary. Pour batter into tin and spread out to the sides. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden in colour, springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.
  4. Meanwhile, make icing. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and vanilla until smooth and then gradually add icing sugar. Add cream cheese gradually and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Fold through cinnamon by hand.
  5. Once cake is cool, ice and decorate with fresh rosemary. Serve with Greek yoghurt or mascarpone. Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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2 Reviews

cj
cj June 6, 2022
One day later, I have to revise my review. This cake is not worth the cost of the ingredients and the amount of work. Save the icing recipe, not the cake. There are much better and simpler apple cakes, like the French Apple Cake at Once Upon a Chef.
 
cj
cj June 5, 2022
I was intrigued by this recipe, so even though there were no reviews to read, I decided to risk it. Fresh Rosemary is very pungent; I would advise that 2 Tb. of rosemary is WAY too much. I used 1 tsp. Could have used a little bit more, maybe 2 tsp. I also cut down the nutmeg to 1/2 tsp. I wish you would say how many cups of chopped apple to use; 2 apples is too vague. Cut the frosting recipe in half. It's easily double what you need for this cake. I decorated it with a sprinkle of rosemary leaves and walnuts (think I would substitute walnuts for the hazelnuts). With that in mind, it's pretty good.