My Dutch Apple Cake is not not going to win the any beauty pageant or Koekedoor, but to me she is just beautiful.

Had a Dutch Apple Cake at Waverley Hills Restaurant recently and it was seriously the best Apple Cake I have ever eaten. I asked Chef Francois du Toit for the recipe and like most amazing chefs, he does it all intuitively. From his explanation, I tried my version of the Dutch Apple Cake and although it is a good first effort, I will still work this recipe and update as I go along. So far, I have learned two things.

You can NEVER have too much butter.

Apple Cake should enough apple, I mean ENOUGH apple.

I like my cakes to be light and well-risen, but this Dutch Apple Cake must be dense and moist. I like the undertones of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg and with a strong espresso, it is delicious even for breakfast.

Dutch Apple Cake

For the cake

4-5 apples – I used Golden Delicious – peeled and sliced

500 ml self raising flour

10 ml baking powder

500 ml sugar

3 ml salt

10 ml fine cinnamon

3 ml fine nutmeg

1 ml fine cloves

3 eggs

200 g butter – soft room temperature, but not melted

250 – 300 ml milk

caster sugar for the top

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C. Spray a spring form pan with Spray n Cook or line with baking paper.

Place all the ingredients for the cake in your mixer and mix until thick and luscious. Scoop half of the batter into the pan and pack 3 layers of apple slices in top. Then top the apples with the remaining batter. Sprinkle some caster sugar over the top and bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until a skewer comes comes out clean when tested. Serve with ladles of cream or ice-cream.

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