Number Nine: Apple Kuchen

Hello again!


I haven't mentioned this before, but this week has been my last week ever of school!! WOOO!!
To celebrate our last german lesson, my class planned an abschiedsparty (or farewell party if you aren't cool enough to speak german). Everyone brought something - we had brownies, coke, party rings, rocky road cupcakes...and my contribution was Nigella's apple kuchen, to keep with the german theme.

It's not really a cake so to speak, but rather a sort of yeasty, bread-like texture. It's quite different to the stuff I usually make, and was enjoyed by all bar one of my friends. Even the german assistant approved! The recipe is from How to be a Domestic Goddess.


To make this you need a swiss roll tin or a rectangular baking tray, approx 30cm by 20cm and at least 5cm deep.


Ingredients


For the dough:
350 - 400g strong white bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
50g caster sugar
3.5g (half a sachet) easy-blend yeast, or 7g fresh yeast
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
good grating fresh nutmeg
125ml lukewarm milk (mine came straight from the fridge, so I just gave it 20 seconds in the microwave to warm it up)
50g softened unsalted butter


For the topping:
1 egg
1 tbsp cream (it is unspecified, so I used single)
grating of fresh nutmeg
2 large granny smiths (however, I would recommend swapping at least one of these for a sweeter apple that will cook down a little more and become pulpy, as my kuchen was a little dry. I also suggest using 3 apples as two wasn't quite enough)
1.5 tbsp demerara sugar (original recipe states 1 tbsp but I think more works better)
1.5 tbsp caster sugar (as above)
1/4 tsp mixed spice/allspice
2 tbsp flaked almonds


For the icing:
75g golden icing sugar (could find this so just used the regular stuff)
1 tbsp hot water


Method


1. Grease the tin and line with baking parchment.


2. Put 350g of the flour in a bowl (no need to sieve unless it's really lumpy) and add the salt, sugar and yeast. Mix together.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla, lemon zest, grated nutmeg and milk.

4. Stir into the dry ingredients to make a medium-soft dough. Be prepared to add more flour if necessary.

5. Work in the soft butter. Then, knead by hand for about 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface (or for about 5 minutes by machine.) When ready, it should be smoother and springier.



Obese hand



6. Pop on a plate and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rise until doubled, approx 1 - 1.25 hours; or alternatively leave to rise slowly in the fridge overnight (clingfilmed).

7. When ready, punch down and press to line the tin. Try and make sure it's reasonably flat, or else the egg and cream mix will slip into the centre later on. Leave it to prove for a further 15-20 mins.

8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/ fan 180C/ gas mark 6.

9. Peel and core the apples and cut into small chunks.

Artistic apple slicing - is there any other way?

10. When the dough is ready, beat the egg with the cream and nutmeg, and brush this over the dough. Make sure you use it all, as this is what makes the cake squishy and moist. It is quite dry without it.

11. Cover the dough with the apples. Mix together the sugars and mixed spice, and sprinkle over evenly.

12. Top with the flaked almonds, and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Now turn the heat down to 180C/ fan 160C/ gas mark 4, and cook for a further 15 minutes or so, until the dough is swelling and golden at the edges, and it is cooked through.

13. Mix the icing sugar and hot water, and drizzle over the cake. Nigella suggests leaving it to cool for 15 minutes and then eating it, but mine was for the next day, so I let it cool completely and then sliced it.

And here it is!!

Although yummy, I do think it would be better warm, because let's face it - everything is better warm. Some of the edge pieces of mine were a little dry (probably because I DIDN'T use all the egg and cream mixture) but the bits from the middle were lovely and moist. I think next time I'll use cooking apples so it goes more pulpy, put more cinnamon in and on the dough, and use more glaze. But overall, a nice recipe!

Thanks for reading!

xxxxxx