HOT OFF THE PRESS: I found out my cookbook made the New York Times Best Sellers list!! Much screeching, jumping and tears, captured in this home movie ❤️:

Enough about me. Back to today’s recipe for you – Cheesecake Stuffed Carrot-Bundt Cake!

Not usually a fan of bundt cakes. Too much cake, not enough frosting. But THIS, I’m all over! Three cake favourites in one – a creamy cheesecake stuffed inside carrot cake with a thick cream cheese glaze. YES!

Not your usual bundt cake!

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t understand the appeal of bundt cakes. It’s a thick wad of cake, usually drizzled with a pretty thin glaze. No fluffy frosting sandwiched inside like a layer cake, nor smothered with whipped cream with piles of juicy fruit like pavlova.

Too much cake. Not enough of the fun stuff!

So I decided to up the fun-factor by stuffing it with cheesecake. Inspired by a cake I first saw on my friend Jennifer Sabin Sattley’s website, Carlsbad Cravings. Perfect for a party, it combines two holiday favorites into one – a carrot Bundt cake with creamy cheesecake inside, with a generous amount of thick cream cheese glaze!

What you need

Here’s what you need to make this.

Cheesecake filling

Basically everything you need for cheesecake!

• Cream cheese – Blocks are the standard choice for cooking but actually, the spreadable cream cheese in tubs works fine too. You will need 2 whole blocks for this recipe – we use half of one block in the glaze.

• Sour cream – Lightens up the cheesecake a bit. Without, it’s just a little rich for my taste. I use sour cream in all my cheesecake recipes.

• Flour – This stabilises the cheesecake mixture. Without, it doesn’t set.

• Large egg at room temperature. 50 – 55g / 2 oz each, “large eggs” labelled on the carton. Make sure it isn’t fridge cold else it won’t incorporate into the mixture and you’ll end up with lumpy cheesecake. Yup – been there, done that!

  Egg plus the flour is what sets the filling so it doesn’t become a runny messy inside the cake.

• Lemon zest – Hint of freshness. Love it.

• Sugar – For sweetness. Regular / granulated or caster / superfine is fine here.

• Vanilla – For flavour.

Carrot cake bundt cake

Here’s what you need for the Carrot Cake part. It is exactly the same as my classic Carrot Cake! The “secret ingredients” in this are:

• Crushed  pineapple (canned) – this adds to the moistness of the crumb, as well as sweetness and flavour. We’re going to use all of the pineapple and some of the juice; and

• Coconut and walnuts (or pecans) – they add a subtle soft crunch which provides great textural contrast in this cake that has a very soft crumb.

• Crushed canned pineapple in natural juice. If the liquid is sweetened, it will still work but unsweetened is better. Can’t find crushed pineapple? Just chop up rings or pieces.

  See above photo for commentary on why it’s a secret ingredient in this cake!

• Baking soda / bi-carb rather than baking powder. It’s ~3x stronger than baking powder and works better in this cake which benefits from the extra power to make it rise. It’s a sizeable cake! I haven’t tested with baking powder because I’m pretty sure the cake won’t rise as well.

• Vinegar activates the baking soda to give it a kick start. Don’t worry, you can’t taste it!

• Carrots – peeled and shredded using a standard box grater.

• Desiccated coconut – Finely shredded coconut, not the large flakes. Unsweetened is best (this is standard in Australia).

• Walnuts – For fabulous CRUNCHY!

• Brown sugar for caramel-y goodness and makes the cake crumb softer and more moist than white sugar.

• Oil instead of butter which also keeps cakes moist. Why? Simple – butter firms up. Even after melting in a cake. Oil does not. So – moister! (Is that a word??)

• Plain / all-purpose flour, not cake flour which will make the cake too damp. Also, self-raising flour cannot be used here. Wrong ratio of rising agent to flour.

• Large eggs at room temperature. 50 – 55g / 2 oz each, “large eggs” labelled on the carton. Make sure they aren’t fridge cold else they won’t incorporate into the mixture.

Thick cream cheese glaze

Not a fan of thin see-through glazes. I like mine THICK! The frosting is always the best part, right? 😀 (Though actually, in this cake, it ties with the cheesecake part. The cake is just a vehicle to deliver the glaze and cheesecake. 🤣)

• Cream cheese – The rest of the block is used for the cheesecake stuffing.

• Butter – For buttery richness in the glaze.

• Icing sugar / powdered sugar – Australia: use soft icing sugar, not pure icing sugar which is intended for hard-set icing like royal icing that you decorate biscuits with.

• Milk – For loosening. USE WITH CAUTION as I find glazes go from too thick to too thin with just the tiniest amount of liquid!

• Lemon and vanilla – For flavour.

How to make cheesecake stuffed bundt cake

OK – the making part! It’s pretty fun actually. Love piping the cheesecake filling into the cake!

1. Cheesecake filling first

Make the cheesecake filling first so it can firm up a bit in the fridge while you make the batter. This makes it easier to pipe.

1. Beat – Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in flour, just until incorporated. Then beat in the egg until mixed in.

   The goal here is to make the filling smooth but minimise the air incorporated into the mixture which can create air bubbles when baking. It’s just a visual think though, and won’t affect the taste!

2. Fridge – Transfer cheesecake mix into a piping bag fitting with a 1.5 – 2 cm / ~0.6″ round nozzle. Then refrigerate while you assemble the rest of the cake.

2. Batter

It’s very easy – mix wet, mix dry, mix wet and dry!

1. Drain pineapple well in a colander, pressing out excess liquid. Reserve the liquid – you need some for the batter. Use the rest for your morning smoothie!

2. Whisk wet cake batter ingredients until smooth. Eggs, brown sugar, oil, milk and 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice.

3. Stir in carrot, coconut and walnuts.

4. Whisk Dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

5. Pour wet into the dry ingredients.

6. Mix just until the flour is incorporated.

3. Assemble

TIP OF THE DAY: Dust your bundt pan with cocoa powder not flour. It will blend invisibly into the cake rather than leaving white flour. Also, dust well! Cakes stuck in a bundt pan is the worst! 😭

1. Some batter – Spread 1 1/2 cups of batter into the base of the bundt pan.

2. Pipe the cheesecake filling in. I do approximately two layers of piping. Avoid touching the walls!

3. Cover with the remaining batter. I spoon the batter on the edges of the cake first and cover the cheesecake filling last. This helps keep the cheesecake filling where it should remain – right in the middle!

4. Bake for 60 minutes, covering with foil at the 30 minute mark to prevent it from becoming too brown.

   We bake at a little higher temperature than typical for cakes – 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). It needs the heat to cook the cake with all the extra moisture inside from the cheesecake. Also, the slightly higher heat cooks the cake on the outside more and the cheesecake less, which means – yup, you guessed it – beautifully creamy cheesecake!

4. The glaze

The glaze is as simple as beating the ingredients together. Use milk to adjust the thickness of the glaze so it’s loose enough to drip slowly down the side of the cake but to cover the cake thickly.

This is what we’re looking for. A thick glaze that covers the cake without being see-through!

Expect shape variations!!!

Your cheesecake filling shape may not be the same as pictured. It might be more like a smile, some parts of the cake might have more, some less. Some sections might not be fully surrounded by cake, some sections might be a bit wonky.

I chose the best slice for the photos, and crossed my fingers when I did the cake-slice-pull-out for the video. 😀

And it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t look exactly the same. What’s important is the flavour! Creamy cheesecake, moist carrot cake and that cream cheese glaze I keep going on and one about. It’s a winning combo!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Cheesecake stuffed carrot bundt cake

Recipe video above. Perfect for a party, this combines two holiday favorites into one – a carrot Bundt cake with creamy cheesecake inside! A combination that everybody adores. Inspired by a cake spied on my friend Jennifer Sabin Sattley’s website, Carlsbad Cravings (love!).

You will need 2 full blocks of cream cheese for this recipe. Take care with the glaze thickness – keep it thick so it blankets the cake generously. Not the usual thin see-through glaze. Feel so cheated!

Course Cake, Sweet Baking

Cuisine Holiday, Western

Keyword bundt cake, cheesecake stuffed cake, stuffed cake

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Cake cooling 3 hours

Servings 14

Calories 534cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 400g/14 oz can crushed pineapple in natural juice (Note 1)
• unsalted butter , for greasing
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened), for dusting (Note 2)

Cheesecake Stuffing:

• 340g / 12 oz cream cheese block , softened (Note 3)
• 1/3 cup sour cream , full fat (yoghurt also ok)
• 1/2 cup white sugar (regular/granulated)
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg , at room temperature

Batter:

• 2 cups plain/all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda/bi-carb (NOT baking powder, Note 4)
• 1/2 tsp salt (cooking/kosher salt)
• 2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 2/3 cup milk , full fat, at room temperature (not fridge-cold)
• 1 tsp white vinegar (Note 5)
• 3 large eggs , at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)
• 2 cups shredded carrot , using a box grater (2 carrots)
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut , unsweetened (finely shredded, not large flakes)
• 1 cup walnuts , roughly chopped

Thick cream cheese glaze:

• 115 g / 4 oz cream cheese , softened (Note 3)
• 30g/ 2 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted
• 1 1/2 tbsp milk , full-fat, plus more as needed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Grease a 12-cup (3 litre) Bundt pan (Note 6) with butter, then dust well with cocoa, shaking out excess. (Why cocoa? See Note 2)
• Prep pineapple – Drain pineapple in a colander, pressing out excess juice and reserving. Set pineapple and juice aside.
• Cheesecake filling – Using an electric beater, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, lemon and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in flour, just until incorporated. Beat in egg until mixed in. Transfer cheesecake mix into a piping bag and refrigerate until required.
• Batter – Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, eggs, brown sugar, canola oil, and ¼ cup of the reserved pineapple juice. Whisk until smooth, then stir in the crushed pineapple, shredded carrot, coconut flakes, and walnuts, if using. Pour this over the flour mixture and gently stir until combined.
• Assemble – Pour about 2 1/2 cups of batter into the Bundt pan. Cut a 1.8cm / 3/4" hole in the end of the piping bag. Pipe a ring of the filling directly on top of the batter—avoid touching sides of pan. Cover with remaining batter.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Remove, cover loosely with foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Check with a skewer to ensure it's cooked (straight down into cheesecake, and also on the inner wall of the ring)
• Glaze – Cool 20 minutes in the pan. Invert on to a rack and allow to fully cool. Spoon the glaze on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake. Sprinkle with walnuts, if using. Cut with a hot knife (for neater slices) and serve!

Cream cheese glaze:

• Beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in icing sugar in two batches, starting on a low speed first (to avoid powder storm!).
• Adjust thickness – Beat in milk and lemon juice. Add extra milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it becomes a thick glaze – BE CAREFUL, it will go from too thick to too thin with just a tiny bit of milk! GOAL: a glaze you can spoon onto the cake, so it oozes thickly down the sides, rather than being thin and transparent like most glazes.

Notes

1. Pineapple – If you can only get pineapple in syrup, that’s fine too. Be sure to press out excess liquid well otherwise batter will be a bit too wet. We will only use some of the liquid – reserve the rest for your morning smoothie!

Crushed pineapple in the US commonly comes in 20 oz cans. Just use approximately 3/4 of the can. No need to be exact here, as long as you press out liquid well. 

Pineapple pieces / rings – chop it yourself and use per recipe!

2. Cocoa powder is used to dust the pan to prevent the cake from sticking because it blends invisibly into the cake surface and you can’t taste it. If you use flour, you will end up with some visible white powder.

3. Cream cheese – Spreadable cream cheese in tubs works too.

4. Baking soda is ~3x stronger than baking powder and works better in this cake which benefits from the extra power to make it rise. It’s a sizeable cake!

5. Vinegar activates the baking soda to give it a kick start. Don’t worry, you can’t taste it.

6. Bundt pan – You can also use a 10-cup (2.5 L) Bundt pan. Just remove ¾ cup of batter (and make cupcakes with excess!), and only use 2 cups batter in the base of the Bundt cake before adding the cheesecake filling.

7. Leftovers will keep for 5 days in the fridge. Not sure about freezing, but instinct tells me the cake will go a bit too wet (it’s a moist cake).

Nutrition per slice, assuming 14 slices. Don’t forget, there’s vegetables and fruit in this which offsets the butter and sugar.😀

Nutrition

Calories: 534cal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 492mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 3412IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

Earnestly explaining the reward that awaits him if he co-operates for a photo:

Said photo. (He’s totally looking at the camera, not the treats!)

The post Cheesecake stuffed carrot bundt cake appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Many people have tried this now and no one thinks of it as a gluten free cake. It’s just a delicious cake! Love the coconut + lemon + almond meal combination, and the springy, moist crumb. BONUS: Just about the fastest, easiest cake recipe I know.

Lemon coconut almond cake

This is a cake that is as delightfully easy to make as it is delicious to eat. Just put everything in a bowl and mix! There’s no need to whip softened butter or pull out your electric beater.

It’s been likened to the fan favourite orange cake in texture – springy yet with an appealing moistness about it. And the flavour! Adore, adore, adore the coconut lemon combination. Idea swiped from my local coffee shop where I’ve been eyeing lemon coconut cake bars for years. This is my copycat.

I don’t actually know if theirs is gluten-free. Mine is, because I’ve never come across a flour-based cake recipe with a crumb as moist as you can make using almond meal.

What you need for this lemon coconut almond cake

Here’s what you need to make this lovely cake:

• Almond meal (aka ground almonds) – This is raw almonds that are blitzed into a fine powder. Easily found nowadays, sold in the dried fruit & nut section and health food section of grocery stores. Or make your own by blitzing raw, unpeeled, unsalted almonds in a powerful blender (I use a Vitamix) until it becomes a fine powder.

  Almond flour can also be used (not as common here in Australia). It’s finer so gives the cake a slightly fluffier texture and less almond flavour. Hazelnut meal can also be substituted though you’ll have lovely hazelnut flavour instead of almond.

• Butter – The fat in this recipe, gives it a beautiful buttery flavour.

• Baking powder – This is what makes the cake rise.

• Eggs – Make sure they are at room temperature so they incorporate more easily into the batter.

• Coconut – Desiccated coconut which is finely shredded, unsweetened coconut. Standard shredded coconut (which is like fine strands) will work but you’ll get more coconut texture in the cake. I don’t think coconut flakes (shavings) will work in this cake, it’s not absorbent enough.

• Sugar – Use caster / superfine sugar if you can because it is finer so it will dissolve easier. Otherwise, regular / granulated sugar can be used.

• Vanilla extract – For flavour. Not to be confused with artificial vanilla essence which is…well, artificial. So not as nice!

• Lemon – We are only using the zest in this cake, for beautiful lemon flavour. Because the zest is where all the lemon flavour is – the juice is mostly just sour.

• Flaked almonds – for sprinkling on the surface. Adds lovely texture to the cake, looks good and protects the surface from browning too much. But you can skip it you don’t have it!

• Salt – Standard inclusion in most of my sweet recipes these days. Just a touch, to bring out the flavours in this cake. Doesn’t make it salty!

How to make lemon coconut cake

Put everything in a bowl and MIX! How good would life be if all baking recipes were this easy??? (Though, my waistline begs to differ).

1. Melt the butter in a bowl using your microwave.

2. Wet ingredients – Whisk in all the other wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla, sugar – yes, sugar is considered a wet ingredient in baking because it liquifies when mixed with other wet ingredients).

3. Dry ingredients – Whisk in the almond meal, coconut, baking powder, salt and zest.

4. Pour it into a 20cm/8″ lined round cake pan. DO NOT skip lining the pan! Even greasing very generously is not enough to stop it from sticking to the pan, no matter how non-stick you think your pan is. (As you might have guessed, I’m speaking from first hand experience here).

5. Bake 40 minutes – Sprinkle the surface with almonds then bake for 40 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

6. Cool for 1 hour before cutting to serve. I was a bit impatient in early versions and found that because the cake is quite moist, it can appear undercooked if you cut it while still warm. (But it’s not undercooked, it just looks that way if you cut while still hot!).

Serve it plain!

While some cakes I recommend serving with a dollop of cream, ice cream or other such accompaniment, this is a cake that definitely stands on its own two feet. Great flavour (lemon + coconut with a hint of almond) with a very moist crumb which is virtually impossible to replicate with flour-based cakes.

So it’s a great cake for taking places – such as for a work morning tea, book club, school bake sale. Just cut and serve. And those who are gluten-intolerant can enjoy it too. Though honestly, don’t just make this because you need a gluten-free cake. Make it because it’s just a really great cake that happens to be just about one of the easiest, quickest cake recipes I know. – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Easy Lemon Coconut Almond Cake

Recipe video above. Many people have tried this now and no one thinks of it as a gluten free cake. It's just a delicious cake! Coconut and lemon is a lovely flavour combination with the subtle flavour of almond meal. Lovely springy, moist crumb like the fan-favourite orange cake. Bonus: Just about the fastest, easiest cake recipe I know!

1 1/2 tsp of lemon zest mightn't sound like much but the lemon flavour comes through just the right amount, in my opinion.

Course Cake, Sweet Baking

Cuisine Western

Keyword almond meal cake, coconut cake, easy cake recipe, Gluten Free Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Cooling 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings 10 – 12

Calories 208cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 150g / 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs (55-60g/2oz each), at room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar, Note 2)
• 1 1/2 cups almond meal (ground almond, Note 1)
• 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup desiccated coconut (US: finely shredded unsweetened coconut)
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest (1 large lemon)
• 1/4 cup flaked almonds , optional (Note 3)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Grease a 20cm/8” round cake pan (or springform pan) with butter then line with paper.
• Melt butter – Place the butter in a large microwavable bowl and melt in the microwave. Let cool for a couple of minutes.
• Wet ingredients – Add egg, vanilla and sugar and whisk until combined.
• Dry ingredients – Add almond meal, salt, baking powder, coconut and lemon zest. Whisk until combined.
• Bake 40 minutes – Pour into pan. Sprinkle over almonds. Bake 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan then carefully turn out onto cooling rack.
• Cool at least 1 hour before cutting slices to serve. Moist enough to serve plain – doesn't need cream or anything!

Notes

1. Almond meal is ground almonds, common ingredient used to make gluten free baked goods with the bonus that it keeps the crumb moist + has lovely flavour. Almond flour is finer and usually made with peeled almonds but works as a direct substitute for almond meal. Hazelnut meal can also be used.

2. Sugar – Sub ordinary/granulated white sugar, caster/superfine sugar is just safer because it’s finer = dissolves easier. Note: This cake is not overly sweet, 3/4 cup of sugar in a whole cake is not that much!

3. Almond flakes on the surface is optional. I originally added it to protect the surface a bit – without, it is deep golden. But I also like the extra texture and how it looks.

4. Keeps perfectly for 5 days – best in the fridge if it’s hot.

Nutrition per slice assuming 12 slices.

Nutrition

Calories: 208cal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 392IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

Eyeing end of day remnants in a glass cabinet like it’s a big juicy steak.

The post Easy lemon coconut almond cake appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Whether you consider this a giant chocolate tart or chocolate custard cake, we will agree it’s one of the most delicious desserts you will ever make. A cross between a chocolate mousse cake and a chocolate Flan Patissier, it’s deeply chocolatey, ultra creamy, yet not overly rich, and shockingly straightforward to make. The perfect finale for any occasion!

Look at all that creamy chocolate custard! How can this not get you excited???!

Chocolate custard cake

I feel like I don’t need to say much about this cake because the photos and recipe video do all the talking for me.

It’s as chocolatey and creamy as it looks. You can cut it into neat slices (like… cake!). But when you eat it, it’s gloriously creamy.

It’s luxurious, with a rich mouthfeel. It is a real custard, after all, nothing like the fake stuff sold in cartons at the store which is a sad imitation of the real deal.

But this is not overly rich and definitely not overly sweet.

Decadent enough for special occasions, easy enough to make for a morning tea at work.

Wait a sec. Did I just convince myself this is the perfect cake for any occasion??? 😂

This chocolate custard cake is an invention that started out as a chocolate version of a Blueberry custard cake I shared a few months ago, a recipe where custard is baked on top of a vanilla sponge layer.

Numerous attempts later, I gave up but out of the fails came this glorious chocolate custard cake that is probably one of my best baking inventions ever. Big call – but I’m standing by it!

Also – proof of creaminess:

What you need

Here’s what you need to make this Chocolate custard cake.

1. Chocolate custard

This cake is made using crème pâtissière, a creamy custard that is used in many French desserts. The recipe I’m using today is based on the custard used in the famous (giant!) French vanilla custard tart, Flan Pâtissier, with chocolate added.

While exact recipes for crème pâtissière vary depending on the intended use (ie. baked vs not baked; required viscosity for pouring vs piping vs filling vs spreading, flavourings added etc), the base ingredients are almost always the same:

• Egg yolks – for richness and also to help set the custard.

  Leftover egg whites – Here’s my list of what I do with them and all my egg white recipes can be found in this recipe collection.

• Cornflour/cornstarch – For setting the custard and making it shiny (regular flour makes it dull). Attention FRENCH READERS: Do not use yellow cornflour, use white cornstarch!

• Sugar – It’s best to use caster sugar / superfine sugar as the grains are finer than regular / granulated sugar so it dissolves more easily.

  Note: This chocolate custard cake is not excessively sweet! One of the things I adore about French desserts is that they are far less sweet than other typical Western desserts. It suits my palette as I grew up eating Japanese baked goods which is heavily influenced by French pastry.

• Milk – The liquid for custard. Some recipes also use cream, for added richness. I don’t feel it’s needed in this recipe. The chocolate makes it rich enough!

• 70% cocoa chocolate – This cake needs to be made using 70% cocoa chocolate to ensure the custard sets to the right consistency and good chocolate flavour. Lower cocoa % (eg milk chocolate, usually around 30% cocoa) = softer chocolate & less chocolate flavour = custard sets softer, is paler and chocolate flavour is not as strong. I found this to be the result when I tried this with regular dark chocolate chips (45% cocoa).

  Better quality = better result! I use Lindt 70% cocoa dark chocolate which is actually an eating chocolate, and a good quality one at that. It’s better quality than the 70% chocolate sold in the baking aisle, so I always stock up whenever I see it on sale!

• Vanilla extract – For background flavour. When making a vanilla crème pâtissière (such as with Flan Pâtissier) or a vanilla pouring custard where vanilla is the forward flavour, I will usually recommend using vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste for better flavour. Plus, let’s just say it, people are always impressed when they see the little black specks. You used real vanilla in this, wow! 😇

  Today, chocolate is our primary flavour so there’s no need to indulge in “real vanilla”. Vanilla extract will do nicely. Not vanilla essence please, that tastes like what it is – artificial vanilla flavour.

2. Oreo cookie base

Oreos are a great shortcut for a cookie base that’s got intense chocolate flavour and colour, with the bonus that the cream filling helps the crust hold together. (UK readers: Your bourbon cream biscuits works a treat here! Milk chocolate digestives works too.)

Other bases I tried for this cake: chocolate pâte sucrée (French tart crust) and various versions chocolate sponge (this didn’t work, testing notes at the bottom of the post) and this Oreo biscuit base. I preferred the biscuit base because it’s a relatively thin layer which provides the necessary structure but doesn’t detract from the star of the show – the chocolate custard. It’s also a nice textural contrast with the bonus that it’s the easiest to make!

How to make chocolate custard cake

This section has step photos and talks through the why for key parts of the recipe. There’s also the recipe video above the recipe card, though if you’re a baking pro you might just want to skip straight down to the recipe!

1. Preparing the cake pan

Cakes, tarts etc made with crushed up biscuits (like cheesecakes) need to be made in pans with a loose base so you can remove the finished cake. You can’t flip it upside down like a sponge cake because the base will crack and the surface will be ruined!

So for today’s recipe, you will need a springform pan with removable sides. Because the base of springform pans have a lip, it’s best to use it upside down so the finished cake slides off it easily. Insurance policy to ensure the base doesn’t crack!

1. Flip base upside down.

2. Grease the base with butter then stick a square-ish sheet of baking paper on it (parchment paper).

3. Clip the sides in place and leave the excess paper sticking out the sides (handy to grip when removing the finished cake).

   Clipping the sides onto the inverted base can be a bit fiddly. I find the easiest way is to pop a folded tea towel under the base so it’s slightly elevated off the work surface, then clip the sides in.

4. Lightly grease the sides with butter then line with baking paper.

* If you are a pastry master and have an entremet ring, you can skip this step. But you already know this! 😇

2. Making the chocolate custard

Please – resist the urge to eat all the custard out of the pot. Save a little for the cake!

1. Heat milk with vanilla and about half the sugar until just before boiling. You can just eyeball the amount of sugar that goes in.

2. Whisk the egg yolks, remaining sugar and cornflour/cornstarch in a separate large bowl.

3. Whisk in milk – Slowly pour the hot milk in while whisking constantly, which will ensure the hot milk doesn’t cook the eggs. Pour all the milk in and whisk until combined.

   This step by which hot liquid is poured in a controlled manner into cold eggs without causing them to cook is called tempering eggs.

   Precaution step: If the saucepan is a little heavy for you, just use a jug or ladle to assist. Once you get about 1 cup of of the milk whisked in, you don’t need to worry about scrambling the eggs!
   

4. Transfer the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan. Now we’re going to cook it for a few minutes until it thickens into a custard.

5. Thicken custard – Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the same saucepan. Place over medium low heat, whisking constantly so the base doesn’t catch, until it starts to thicken (you will feel it). It should happen within 3 to 5 minutes. If it gets lumpy, remove off heat, whisk vigorously – will become smooth.

6. Lazy bubbles – The sight of lazy bubbles is the trigger that determines the right cook time for custard. They will start to appear once the custard is thickened, and it’s hot and steamy. You’ll need to pause stirring for a few seconds to see if they appear.

7. Stir 45 sec – Once you see the bubbles, whisk constantly on the stove for a further 45 seconds then remove from stove. The rule for making French custard is 30 seconds for every 500ml/2 cups of milk. That is, for every 2 cups of milk used in the custard, stir for 30 seconds after the bubbles start appearing. Because we are using 3 cups of milk, we stir for 45 seconds.

8. Add chocolate – Remove from the stove, add chocolate and stir until fully melted. See below for what it looks like!

9. Thickness – The custard should be thick enough such that it mounds slightly on the surface, like pictured above.

10. Set aside – Transfer into a bowl, immediately cover with cling wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming. If you can see lumps in your custard, feel free to strain through a fine mesh.

    Then set the custard aside while preparing the base. There’s no need to rest chocolate custard overnight, like we do with the vanilla custard for Flan Pâtissier. Reason: Vanilla custard is more delicate and benefits from overnight flavour development. Chocolate custard doesn’t need it.

    Make-ahead option – If you want to get ahead, the custard can be refrigerated overnight then used the next day.

3. Oreo cookie base

Blitz and press. Nice and easy! No food processor? No worries! Just bash the cookies in a ziplock bag using a rolling pin or something heavy.

1. Cookies – Break up the cookies with your hands and place in a food processor.

2. Blitz until they become fine crumbs. Add melted butter, then blitz again until combined.

3. Transfer crumbs into prepared pan.

4. Press evenly and firmly on to the base. I spread the crumbs with a spatula then use the underside of a straight-sided, flat-bottomed measuring cup to press them flat. But honestly, even your hands will do the job!

4. Baking

Home stretch!

1. Whisk custard until smooth. It firms up as it cools but should still be warm by the time you get to using it. Though you can, as noted above, leave the custard overnight and finish the cake tomorrow.

2. Pour the custard into the prepared cake pan.

3. Spread the custard and smooth the surface. No need to be too meticulous here as the custard will thin as it heats up and spread out evenly.

4. Bake for 1 hour at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced), rotating the cake at the 45 minute mark. The cake will puff up towards the end and a thin (chocolatey!) skin will form on the surface. This is a signature characteristic of Flan Pâtissier (French Custard Tart) on which this recipe is based!

   The cake should still be wobbly when you pull it out of the oven. It firms up in the fridge (next step).

5. Cool overnight – Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool on the counter for at least 3 hours. Don’t be alarmed if it deflates – that is what is supposed to happen!

   Then refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or even longer.

   If there is any hint of warmth in the cake when you put it in the fridge, do not cover the cake with cling wrap as it will make it sweat. Because of the type of cake this is, there is no risk of it drying out so just leave it uncovered.

6. Remove the sides of the springform pan then slide the cake off the base (and feel smug at how easy it is because you learnt the inverted cake base trick!). Now, it’s ready for serving…… I mean, YAY, it’s time to EAT!!!

More matters of chocolate custard cake

Decorating

Raspberries or sliced strawberries look lovely on chocolate desserts, as does a dusting of icing sugar (powdered sugar), as pictured in post. A dollop of Chantilly cream (lightly sweetened vanilla cream) or mascarpone wouldn’t go astray either, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Serving

I like to cut the cake while fridge cold, for neat smear-free slices, then leave it out for around 30 minutes to bring to room temperature before serving for the creamiest mouthfeel. Having said that though, on hot summer days, cold custard cake is DIVINE!

Storage

I had to label a slice with an aggressive “DO NOT TOUCH!!!” sign to protect it from vultures to check the shelf life! It was perfect for 48 hours after removing from the cake pan, then still good on day 5 though the biscuit base was noticeably softer.

I forgot to try but I doubt it will freeze. Custards typically don’t freeze well.

And there you have it! A chocolate custard cake. I suppose some would argue that it’s a chocolate tart, and being that it is actually a chocolate version of the French custard tart, Flan Pâtissier.

But with a layer of custard that thick, to me it looks more like a chocolate mousse cake than a tart.

The name might be open to debate, but the delicious is not! I hope you give it a go one day! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Chocolate Custard Cake

Recipe video above. Whether you consider this a giant chocolate tart or chocolate custard cake, we will agree it's one of the most delicious desserts you will ever make. A cross between a chocolate mousse cake and a chocolate Flan Patissier (French custard tart), it's deeply chocolatey, ultra creamy, yet not overly rich, and shockingly straightforward to make. The perfect finale for any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Western

Keyword Chocolate custard cake, chocolate custard tart, chocolate flan patissier, chocolate mousse cake

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Cooling 15 hours

Servings 10 – 12 people

Author Nagi

Ingredients

BASE:

• 200g/ 7oz Oreo cookies (1.5 standard packs, Note 1)
• 60g/ 4 tbsp unsalted butter , melted

CUSTARD:

• 3 cups milk , full fat
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cups caster sugar (superfine sugar, sub regular)
• 120g/ 4.2 oz egg yolks (~6 – 7 large eggs, Note 2)
• 5 tbsp (50g) cornflour / cornstarch
• 200g / 7 oz 70% cocoa chocolate , finely chopped (I use Lindt, Note 3)

FOR SERVING (optional):

• Chantilly cream
• Raspberry or strawberries
• Icing sugar / powdered sugar , for dusting

Cups – Metric

Instructions

PREPARATION:

• Prepare pan: Flip the base of a 20cm / 8" springform pan upside down – this makes it easier to remove the finished cake without the lip in the way. Grease pan base with butter, then press on a square sheet of baking paper. Clip the pan sides onto the base, letting the excess paper stick out (ease of removal later).
• Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced).

CUSTARD:

• Heat the milk, vanilla and about half the sugar in a large saucepan over medium high heat until just before boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
• Yolk mixture: Place egg yolks and remaining sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add cornflour and whisk until smooth.
• Temper eggs: While whisking the eggs, slowly pour in the hot milk in a thin stream while whisking. Whisk until fully combined.
• Thicken custard: Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the same saucepan. Place over medium low heat, stirring constantly so the base doesn't catch, until it starts to thicken (you will feel it). It should happen within 3 to 5 minutes. If it gets lumpy, remove off heat, whisk vigorously – will become smooth.
• Stir 45 sec after bubbles: When the custard is thickened and steamy, and you see the first big lazy bubbles appear on the base (pause whisking to see), whisk constantly on the stove for a further 45 seconds then remove from stove.
• Add chocolate and stir until fully melted.
• Cool: Transfer into a bowl, immediately cover with cling wrap touching the surface. (You can strain if you're concerned about lumps). Set aside while preparing the base.

BISCUIT BASE:

• Blitz cookies: Roughly break up Oreos with hands and place in food processor. Blitz until they become fine crumbs. Add melted butter, then blitz again until combined.
• Press: Transfer crumbs into prepared pan, pressing evenly and firmly on to the base (I use the underside of a straight-sided, flat-bottomed cup measure to do this).

BAKE:

• Bake 1 hour: Whisk custard until smooth to loosen. Pour onto the base, smooth surface. Bake 60 minutes, rotating the cake pan at the 45 minute mark. It will still be wobbly when you pull it out of the oven.
• Cool for 3 hours on the counter, in the pan. Refrigerate at least 12 hours to allow the custard to fully set.
• Serve: Best to cut when fridge cold and serve at room temp (for creamiest custard!). Remove springform sides and paper, then use paper overhang to slide the cake off the base. Cut like cake and serve! Lovely with dollop of Chantilly cream and a raspberry or strawberry. Dust with icing sugar to make it pretty!

Notes

1. Oreo cookies – You can also use plain chocolate biscuits instead (ie without a filling), such as Arnott’s Chocolate Ripple, but add 1 1/2 tbsp / 20g of butter. This is because Oreo cookies have a filling which is partly what helps bond the crust.

UK readers: Your bourbon cream biscuits works a treat here! Milk chocolate digestives works too.

2. Yolks – safest to weigh because egg and yolk sizes differ and this custard relies on egg to help it set. 120g / 4.2 oz yolks is 100ml / 3.4 oz, just shy of 1/2 cup. Usually 6 large eggs weighing ~55g / 2oz each (carton labelled “large eggs” because it’s an industry standard).

Leftover egg whites – Here’s my list of what I do with them and all my egg white recipes can be found in this recipe collection.

3. Chocolate – Must use 70% cocoa chocolate to ensure the custard sets to the right consistency and good chocolate flavour. Lower cocoa % (eg milk chocolate usually around 30%) = softer chocolate & less chocolate flavour = custard sets softer, is paler and chocolate flavour is not as strong.

Storage – At its best for the first 48 hours. Keeps for 5 days though the biscuit base does start to soften (it’s really not a big deal). Store in fridge.

Fellow custard-lovers. Unite!

Custard Cake With Blueberries

Flan Pâtissier (French Custard Tart)

Custard (Creme Anglaise)

Crème Brûlée (French vanilla custard)

Christmas Trifle!

Chocolate Cream Pie

Life of Dozer

No chocolate for you Dozer! How about some croissant instead? (Like I have a choice! 😂)

The post Chocolate custard cake appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

There are three big apples packed in this apple bread! Loaded with warm cinnamon flavours, you’ll love how moist it is without being too sweet. This is a quick bread recipe which means, true to its name, it’s a yeast-free loaf. Fabulous for morning tea or a breakfast treat with a cup of coffee!

Cinnamon Apple Bread

I’ve been working on my Apple Pie Project (read: my perfect apple pie) and am convinced that this is the year we will crack it! But either way making apple pie is definitely a labour of love, so meanwhile I also want to share other sweet ways with apples that are faster and easier. Some favourites from my existing apple repertoire are Apple Muffins, Apple Bars, and Apple Crumble.

So here’s a big welcome to the latest addition to my apple recipe collection: today’s Cinnamon Apple Bread!

This is a good bread for sharing that’s relatively fast to make. Leftovers make a great breakfast, lightly toasted and smothered in (just a bit!) of butter.

What you need

Here’s what you need to make this Cinnamon Apple Bread. There is no missing the cinnamon in this recipe! It’s in the batter, on the apple, and on the surface!

1. The Apple

• Apples – You will need 3 big apples for this recipe! 650g / 1.4 pounds in total. I like to use Granny Smith because I love the tartness and also because they hold their shape better when cooked. However, any apple will work for this recipe, though you may need to watch how quickly the slices on the surface caramelise.

  You will need 2 of the apples chopped up to mix into the batter, and 1 apple cut into slices for decorating the surface. Though actually, the decorative topping is purely optional.

• Cinnamon and sugar (for apple in the batter) – I like to toss the chopped up apples in a little sugar and cinnamon to get a little sweetness and flavour into the apple pieces before folding into the batter.

• Demerara sugar and cinnamon (for topping) – Demerara sugar is a coarse sugar with a hint of molasses flavour that is ideal to use for sprinkling onto things to create a sparkly little crust. Turbinado makes a perfect substitute. However, if you don’t have either there is no need to get it especially. Just use brown sugar instead.

• Walnuts – Entirely optional! The add a lovely soft crunch to the loaf. To be honest, I’ve made this without walnuts more often than with.

2. The Batter

• Cinnamon, ginger and allspice powder – I’ve called this a Cinnamon Apple Bread because it’s the dominant spice here. But I like to add interest to the cinnamon flavour with a touch of ginger and allspice (mixed spice also works great). However, the ginger and allspice are entirely optional. You can skip them and just add more cinnamon powder.

• Yogurt or sour cream – A secret weapon to make cakes and breads that are beautifully moist. Yogurt adds wetness to batters without also making it thin (unlike milk), which means you don’t need as much flour. Less flour = more moist! This also (usually) means the batter doesn’t call for “cream butter and sugar with a beater” which means (a) no waiting for butter to soften; and (b) it’s hand mixed with just a wooden spoon.

  Yogurt is not suitable to use for all cakes (like my classic Vanilla Cake, Chocolate Cake) but I do use it quite regularly in baked goods – like Yogurt Lemon Cake, Easy Blueberry Cake, Strawberry Cake and Chocolate Muffins, to name a few. Even for my Cheesy Mediterranean Muffins (great non-sweet morning tea option!).

• Baking powder and baking soda (bicarbonate soda) – I like to use a combination of baking powder and baking soda because while they both make baked goods rise, they behave differently. For one thing, baking soda is about 3x stronger than baking powder and for loafs such as this, it makes the surface dome more. By using a combination of the two you can control the shape of baked goods. For this apple cake, I specifically wanted just the slightest dome to keep the apple slice decoration mostly in place (big dome = apple slices splayed out in a disorderly way!).

  However, the nice thing about this loaf is that the batter is very forgiving so you can use just baking soda or just baking powder. The shape of the surface will be slightly different (baking powder = level or slightly sunken, baking soda only = rounder dome), but the crumb is basically the same. I’ve popped directions in the recipe notes.

• Flour – Just plain / all-purpose flour. Self-raising flour (instead of flour + baking powder + baking soda) will work but it doesn’t rise quite as well. Gluten-free – I haven’t tried!

• Eggs – Preferably at room temperature so it incorporates more easily into the batter but for this batter, it’s actually not a problem if they are fridge-cold because as noted above, it’s a very forgiving recipe!

• Oil – Another secret to making cakes with a moist crumb. Butter has better flavour but it dries cakes out. Why then, don’t I only use oil in cakes? Because oil is flavourless. It really only works in cakes where there’s other big flavours to compensate – like cinnamon, in this case.

• Brown sugar – Not very much actually! Just 3/4 cup. I really like that this loaf is not too sweet.

• Vanilla extract – For a complementary rather than dominant flavour. I really feel it’s missing something without vanilla .

• Salt – Just a pinch brings out other flavours in sweet baked goods. It definitely does not make it taste salty at all. This is generally good practice for baking, a tip I’ve picked up over the years. You’ll notice my older cake recipes do not have salt in them.

How to make Cinnamon Apple Loaf

It’s very, very straight forward. It takes longer to chop the apples than to make the batter!

1. The Batter

1. Toss the apple pieces with cinnamon and sugar, and set aside while you make the batter. This will make the apple sweat slightly – we mix the juices into the batter – and infuse the apple with a bit of sweetness and cinnamon flavour.

2. Dry – Whisk the Dry ingredients in a bowl.

3. Wet – Whisk the Wet ingredients in a separate bowl. (PS. I know sugar isn’t “wet” but in the baking world it is considered a wet ingredient and actually it behaves like a wet ingredient when mixed with liquids).

4. Combine wet and dry – Pour the Wet ingredients into the Dry ingredients bowl then mix until combined.

5. Stir through the apple (including all juices in the bowl) and walnuts, if using.

6. Scrape the batter into a prepared loaf pan and level the surface.

   Lining the loaf pan – I just use a single sheet of paper to line the base and long sides, with plenty of paper overhang. There’s no need to line the short end – this cake is not that sticky. Also the overhang will be used to lift the cake out because we do not want to turn it out upside down as it will mess up the top.)

   Batter level – The batter should be around 1.7cm / 2/3″ below the rim of the loaf pan. No more else it may overflow.

7. Apple slices – Decorate the surface using the apple slices in any way you wish. I fan them out slightly, as pictured, and use 3/4 of an apple.

8. Sprinkle the surface with the Demerara sugar mixed with (more!) cinnamon powder.

2. Baking

This loaf takes 1 hour 25 minutes to bake: Partially uncovered, to caramelise the surface nicely, then covered to finish cooking it through.

1. 1 hour uncovered – Bake the loaf uncovered for 1 hour at 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan). This is slightly higher than the usual 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). This lower temperature not only took an extra 20 minutes to cook but the loaf didn’t rise as well. 200°C for the win!

   FIRST CHECK at 45 minutes to ensure the apple slices are not burning. If they are, cover with foil early.

2. 25 minutes covered – Remove the loaf from the oven and loosely cover with foil. Then bake for a further 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

3. Cool 1 hour – Cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Then use the paper overhang to lift the loaf out on to a rack to cool for a further 1 hour before slicing. I know it’s super-tempting but don’t slice and eat it straight away because even though it is fully cooked, it will paradoxically taste a little raw. You really need to rest any baked good (breads included) to let the inside finish cooking and “dry out” a bit. The larger it is, the longer you need to rest it. In this case, because of the extra moisture from the apple, it needs a good 1 hour. At the very least, 30 minutes!

Cutting and serving

It will not shock regular readers to hear that I even have a view on something as simple as slicing a loaf!! 😂

For me, the perfect width of a slice is between 2 – 2.2 cm (that’s 0.78 – 0.87 inches).

Thicker = cake-to-butter ratio is out.

Thinner = stingy plus too fragile. If it breaks when slices fall like dominos as you cut the loaf up, it means the slices are too thin.

Please don’t judge me! Or – do. I don’t mind. Because I’ll be the one eating the perfect slice of Apple Bread!

Eat it slightly warm and plain, like cake. Or lightly toast it in the oven or in your toaster then slather with butter. Leftovers will keep for days and days (around 5) and freezes perfectly. So even if it’s just you, there’s no excuse not to make this! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Cinnamon Apple Bread

Recipe video above. This is a great, relatively quick-to-make sweet loaf bread ideal for afternoon tea or breakfast treat. The most time-consuming part is chopping the apple because there's quite a lot of the fruit in this!

Yogurt and oil make the crumb beautifully moist so it will stay fresh for days. I like to add walnuts for soft crunch but it's entirely optional. The apple slice topping is also optional. So many options!

Want apple muffins instead? Here it is!

Course Sweet Baking

Cuisine Western

Keyword Apple bread, Apple loaf, Apple recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Cooling 1 hour

Servings 10 – 12

Calories 394cal

Author Nagi

Equipment

• 1 loaf pan , 21.5 x 11.5 x 7 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 x 2.75"

Ingredients

Topping (optional):

• 1 Granny Smith apple , quartered, cored, thinly sliced 3 mm / 1/8" thick (Note 1)
• 1 1/2 tbsp demerara sugar (or turbinado sugar, Note 2)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

Cinnamon Apple:

• 3 cups diced Granny Smith apple , 1/2” cubes, skin on (approx 2 large apples) (Note 2)
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 3 tbsp brown sugar

Batter – Dry:

• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder (Note 3)
• 1/4 tsp allspice (or mixed spice) (Note 3)
• 1 3/4 cups plain / all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda , sifted (Note 4)
• 1/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt

Batter – Wet:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup yogurt , plain unsweetened (sub sour cream), at room temperature (Note 5)
• 2 eggs , at room temperature (Note 5)
• 1/2 cup canola oil (or other neutral flavoured oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Walnuts (optional):

• 1 cup walnuts , toasted, roughly chopped into 1cm/1/3″ pieces (not too small) (Note 6)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Position shelf in the middle of the oven.
• Loaf pan (Note 7): Use a 21.5 x 11.5 x 7 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 x 2.75" pan. Spray with canola oil then line the long side + base with a single piece of paper leaving some overhang (don’t worry about lining short sides).
• Topping: Mix the Demerara sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Cinnamon Apple: Mix Cinnamon Apple ingredients in a bowl. Set aside while you prepare the batter (the sugar will make the apple sweat = good thing!).
• Batter: Whisk the Dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk Wet ingredients. Pour Wet mix into the Dry bowl, whisk just until smooth. Stir in apples (including all juices) and walnuts. Batter should be thick but dollop-able (not pourable in thin stream, nor thick like sticky bread dough). Scrape into loaf pan, smooth surface.
• Topping: Take 1/4 of the apple slices, fan out (so they're overlapping) then arrange on top. Repeat in two more lots of 1/4 of an apple. (I find to cover the surface, I only use 3/4 of the apple.) Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.
• Bake 60 minutes. Cover loosely with foil, bake for further 25 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out smooth.
• Rest 15 minutes in the pan then use paper overhang to remove to a rack. Cool at least 1 hour on rack before slicing!
• Serving – The bread is moist and flavoured enough to eat plain though nobody complains if it's lightly toasted and slathered with butter!

Notes

1. Apple quantity – You will need about 650g / 1.4 lb apples in total (3 x 220g / 7.5 oz large apples).

Apple varieties – This recipe should work fine with most apple varieties. Some apples will cook up softer than others. I like Granny Smith for the slight tartness and it holds its shape well when cooked. If using really sweet apples, you may want to reduce the brown sugar down to 1/2 cup.

Apple topping – I can only fit 3/4 of an apple’s worth of slices on top. If you want to squeeze all of it, go right ahead!

2. Demerara sugar – This is a coarse sugar with a hint of molasses flavour that creases jewel-like crust on the surface. Substitute with 2 tbsp brown sugar.

3. Spices – I like this combination of spices for my apple loaf but if you don’t have them, feel free to substitute with more cinnamon powder.

4. Baking soda (bi-carb) is basically baking powder on steroids with ~3x lifting power. I find a combination of the two works best for crumb texture and surface shape. If you don’t have it, substitute with an extra 2 teaspoons baking powder. The surface of the loaf may end up a little more level rather than attractively domed but the crumb will be similar.

Self-raising flour can be used instead of plain flour + baking powder + baking soda but it won’t rise quite as well. It does work though!

5. Room temperature – It’s best for the eggs and yogurt to be at room temperature as the batter will be quite stiff if they are fridge-cold. However this recipe is quite forgiving so it’s not the end of the world if they are fridge-cold (speaking from experience here!).

6. Toasted walnuts – Spread on a tray and bake for 8 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan), shaking the tray once.

7. Loaf pan – If yours is larger, that’s fine. It’s just that the loaf won’t end up as tall as you see pictured.

8. Leftovers – Stays fresh for 5 days. It’s best to keep in the fridge and serve warm (microwave, or oven/toaster to toast). Freezes 3 months.

9. Nutrition per serving, assuming 10 slices.

Nutrition

Calories: 394cal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg

Love baking with apples?

Me too! See?

Magic Stay-Moist Apple Muffins

Apple Crumble Bars

Cinnamon Apple Teacake

Apple Crumble Bars

Magic Caramel Self Saucing Baked Apples

Easiest Ever MOIST Apple Cake

Baked Apple Pie Fries with Salted Caramel Dipping Sauce

Apple Cinnamon French Toast

Life of Dozer

Oh my, oh my, Life of Dozer – or is that Dozer’s life? – is rather exciting these days as he accompanies me on the Sydney leg of the cookbook tour! Here he is at our very first public event hosted by Kinokuniya book store. It took place in a church in the city that is often hired out for events. As I was talking on stage, he just wandered around the room, sidling up to people for pats and cuddles. He was in his element!!!

And for those wondering, I am very pleased to report that he did not pee during the event!!!! 🙌🏻

Another huge thank you to everyone who came. It was so wonderful to see your faces and get to meet so many of you!! 😊

The post Cinnamon Apple Bread appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.