Apple Cake, by François Payard

I wrote recently about a cookbook entitled ‘Simply Sensational Desserts’ by the great pastry chef François Payard. This Apple Cake is one of my favorites from his book. He credits his Dad for the recipe and I make it at least once a year. The only thing I do differently is I don’t strain the apricot preserves prior to brushing the glaze on the hot cake, I like the bits of apricot and I think it gives it a little bit of a rustic look.

Any way you slice it, this cake and the cookbook it comes from are magnificent. Please make the cake and definitely add this book to your collection!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup (60 grams) Raisins
• 3 Tablespoons (42 grams) Dark rum, such as Myer’s
• 1 scant cup (136 grams) all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon (3 grams) baking powder
• 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (113 grams) confectioners’ sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 Apples, such as Fuji or Rome, peeled and cored
• ¼ cup (60 grams) Apricot glaze, (strained apricot preserves, use warm)

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Butter an 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inch loaf pan, dust with flour, tap out the excess
3. Bring a small pan of water to a boil and add the raisins, boil one minute. Drain and repeat, after the second time, drain well and place the raisins in a small bowl with the rum. Set aside
4. Sift together flour and baking powder
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together butter and sugar on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Mix in the raisins and rum, add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until blended. Spoon half of the batter into the pan and smooth into an even layer
6. Cut one apple into 12 wedges and arrange them over the batter down the center of the pan, so their sides touch and the domed side is facing up. Spoon the rest of the batter on top and smooth flat. Cut the other apple into 8 wedges and cut each wedge in half crosswise. Arrange the wedges in a single row along each long side of the pan, pressing the center-cut sides of the apple against the sides of the pan with the points facing the center, gently push the apples into the batter leaving the tops exposed.

Bake the cake for 60-65 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Unmold the cake and turn it right side up. Gently brush the Apricot glaze over the top of the hot cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting into slices.