-
1
Heat the Oven and Prepare the Pan
5 Mins
180°C (350°F)
Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 24 cm round cake pan with the reserved 10g of butter, line the base with baking paper, and grease the paper lightly too.
Lining the base is what lets the cake come out in one piece — a sponge this soft sticks fast to an unlined pan.
Done when: Oven at 180°C (350°F); pan greased and lined.
-
2
Cream the Butter, Sugar and Eggs
10 Mins
Room temperature
Beat the 120g of soft butter with the 180g of sugar in a large bowl until pale, fluffy and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the 3 eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one, then stir in the vanilla extract and the lemon zest.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well between them — if they go in all at once the mixture can curdle and the sponge turns heavy.
Done when: A pale, fluffy cream with the eggs fully mixed in and no streaks of butter.
-
3
Fold in the Flour and the Apples
10 Mins
Room temperature
Sift the 250g of flour with the 8g of baking powder, 2g of the cinnamon and the 2g of salt. Fold half the flour mixture into the butter and eggs, then half the 120g of milk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk, folding gently until just combined. Fold in half of the sliced apples.
Stop folding as soon as the flour disappears — overmixing knocks the air out and the sponge comes out tough instead of soft.
Done when: A thick, smooth batter with apple slices folded through and no pockets of dry flour.
-
4
Top with Apple Slices and Bake
50 Mins
180°C (350°F)
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange the remaining apple slices in overlapping circles over the top and sprinkle them with the remaining 1g of cinnamon. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until deep golden, until the cake springs back when pressed lightly, and until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
If the top browns too fast, lay a loose sheet of foil over the pan for the last 10 minutes — the apples on top catch colour before the middle is done.
Done when: Deep golden top, springy to the touch, and a clean skewer from the centre.
-
5
Cool and Dust with Sugar
15 Mins
Room temperature
Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and leave it until just warm. Dust the top with the 10g of powdered sugar through a small sieve.
Cutting a hot sponge crushes the crumb — 10 minutes in the pan and a few more on the rack is what keeps the slices neat.
Done when: A warm cake, out of the pan in one piece, dusted white with sugar.
-
6
Slice and Serve
5 Mins
Warm, about 60°C (140°F)
Cut the cake into 8 slices with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Serve warm, on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
A hot knife wiped clean between slices gives neat edges instead of a torn crumb.
Done when: Eight even slices, the apple layers visible in each one.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Dust the warm cake with powdered sugar, cut it into 8 slices, and serve while it is still a little warm — on its own, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top.
Uruguay
35m
