Russian Apple Cake

Russian Apple Cake: 

This recipe, adapted from Lesley Chamberlain’s “The Food and Cooking of Russia” 

is a quick and easy one I’ve made many times, 

but each time is different since I like to play around with the fruit ingredients. 

Apples are wonderful, but I find they really benefit from being paired with other fruit flavors, 

as I have done here. 

The re-hydrated dried apples are optional, 

but I find they give the cake a very deep apple flavor that is hard to achieve from fresh apples by themselves. 

 

Ingredients:  

- 1 cup of dark rum or Calvados 

- 75 ml (1/3 cup) of cherry, plum or other berry preserves or jam 

- 50 grams of dried apple slices 

- 50 grams of dried cherries 

- 50 grams of raisins 

- 750 grams of tart apples, peeled, cored, and diced into small pieces. 

- 3 ripe plums, stone removed, chopped roughly 

- 1 tsp of cinnamon - 1 tsp of ground cloves 

- 1 tsp of ground ginger 

- 1 tsp of salt - 6 eggs 

- 100 grams of sugar 

- 150 ml of sour cream 

- 60 grams of flour 

- 10 grams (1/2 tablespoon) of butter 

- 5 Tbl of fresh breadcrumbs 

 

Instructions:  

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Adjust the oven rack to the middle level. 

 

2. Place the dried fruit, jam, and rum or Calvados into a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for at least 20 minutes. Set aside. 

 

3. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan or bundt mold and coat with breadcrumbs. 

 

 4. Separate the eggs. 

 

5. Toss the fresh apple and plum pieces with the stewed dried fruits and rum. 

 

6. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a standing mixture at medium speed until slightly thickened and creamy (2 minutes). Add the sour cream and beat for an additional 20 seconds at medium low speed. 

 

7. Add the flour, spices, salt, and apple mixture to the batter. 

 

8. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff, shiny peaks. 

 

9. Gently fold the batter into the egg whites until just combined. 

 

10. Pour the batter into the spring form pan or bundt mold. Twirl the pan sharply to the left and right a few times to release any air pockets. 11. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until puffed and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve, topped with ice cream or whipped cream. Priyatnogo Appetita!
Source: Russia Beyond the Headlines - http://rbth.com/articles/2012/08/19/yablochniy_spas_apples_transfigured_17467.html)