Sicilian Apple Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
- 1/2 cup sultanas or raisins soaked in 50ml rum (overnight preferably)
- 50g/1.7ozs. walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1kg/2.2lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 250g/8.8ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 150g/5ozs. cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 125g/4ozs. butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons raw sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Icing sugar to serve
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 170C/330F. Line a high sided 20cm/8inch or 22.5/9inch round tin on the base and sides. Toss the apple slices in the lemon juice and zest.
Step 2 - Whisk the eggs and sugar together for 5 minutes or until thick and pale. In a jug whisk the cake flour, baking powder and salt until mixed. Combine the flour mixture, egg mixture, milk, melted butter and vanilla and stir until just combined.
Step 3 - Take 1/3 of the mixture and scoop it into the tin. Add a third of the apples and then half of the sultanas (reserve the rum) and half the walnuts. Repeat this again with another 1/3 of the batter, 1/3 of the apples, the second half of raisins and second half of walnuts. Then add the last third of batter and apples.
Step 4 - Scatter with pine nuts and cinnamon mixed with raw sugar on top. Bake for 1 hour. If it is getting too burnt, cover with foil and bake for another 40-50 minutes. Pour the rum over the hot cake as soon as it is out of the oven. ssssDust with icing sugar before serving.