Here’s a cake for when you don’t have a mixer.
It is quick, unctuous, and has a distinct nuttiness from the butter that pairs well with the softness of the spelt flour.
I bloomed some saffron in the browned butter, but feel free to incorporate any spice(s) your palette is leaning toward.
YIELD:
One 8-inch cake round (8 pcs)
TIME:
Active: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hr 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
144g ap flour
54g spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp saffron
1/2 tsp sea salt
116g unsalted butter + 2 tbsp
165g brown sugar + 2 tbsp
100g granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
226g cream cheese, room temperature
50g whole milk
2-3 medium apples, heirloom variety (~350g), peeled and quartered (peels reserved)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325. Grease an 8-in cake round with 1 tbsp of butter, and line the bottom with a parchment round.
In a small saucepan, add the remaining stick of butter, and cook over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant (~5-7 minutes). Add saffron, and set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder together.
In a medium bowl, add both sugars and whisk in cooled butter, followed by the eggs, one by one. Once combined, whisk in the cream cheese, and then the milk (will loosen the mixture). Continue whisking until homogeneous, light, and fluffy.
At once, add the flour mixture, and fold in with a spatula until just combined. Slice apple peels into thin strips and add to the prepared cake tin.
Add the cored apple pieces over the batter, and dot the remaining tablespoon of butter over the top. Sprinkle with two tablespoons of brown sugar.
Bake for around one hour, or until cake is generously browned, springs back to the touch, and reads an internal temperature of 212.
Let cool and enjoy.
