Apprentice

This month Baker’s Apprentice comes up with two fruit cakes – upside down cakes

1. I have tested these recipes twice at home and fixed any glitches before putting

them up here to ensure that everyone can bake along easily.

2. It is always advisable to get your ingredients ready and then start the actual

process of mixing, creaming, oven pre-heating and baking.

3. I have used all very easily available ingredients and nothing very expensive or

exotic.

4. Both these cakes can be baked in a microwave convection mode too. However

you will need to keep a watch on your timing as per your convection

temperature. For any help on that matter please refer here.

5. If you wish to use an eggless recipe, the same can be used instead of the one

mentioned here. The upside down technique of arranging the fruits remain the

same.

6. The basic cake recipe in the sizzling orange cake uses ground almonds. It gives a

beautiful nutty aroma to the cake and can also be used even to bake cupcakes,

loaves etc.

7. While making the caramel sauce, be very careful, it is extremely hot and sticks to

the skin, if it comes in contact. Also, keep a careful watch or the caramel tends

to harden or burn.

The apple cake is a basic sponge cake recipe I have modified over the years.

The almond orange cake recipe is taken from NotQuiteNigella.com.

Since this is a guided baking session- an introduction to baking, it is advisable to not

alter the ingredients. I have used all very commonly available ingredients. If something

goes wrong, it will be difficult to assess the cause when any of the ingredients and

compositions are changed.

However some flavor combinations can be changed and I have mentioned them in

the recipe.

Experienced bakers who wish to bake along can of-course make any changes they

wish.

For each of the Cakes 30 minutes + Baking time

Caramel sauce 20 minutes

Making syrup oranges 30 minutes

Making almond flour 20 minutes

For decoration About 10 minutes or as long as you want.

Servings: Makes one 6-8 inch cake. Serves 8-10

3-4 apples, peeled and then cut lengthwise

1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon

2 tablespoon castor sugar

100 grams Amul butter, softened

200 grams castor sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla essence

3 eggs

200 gram refined flour (maida)

2 teaspoon baking powder

80 ml (roughly 90 gm) whole milk

1. Firstly, wash and peel the apples. Remove the core with an apple corer and cut

round slices. Or cut the apples in half, remove the seeds and cut them lengthwise

into slices.

2. Grease the baking pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper so that the

apples don’t stick to the bottom, plus it comes out easily.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius and keep it ready for baking.

4. Arrange the apples in the bottom of the pan so that the entire bottom is covered.

Apples shrink after cooking, so fit them tightly and then some more.

5. Mix the cinnamon powder and 2-tablespoon castor sugar and sprinkle it on the

apples. Keep the pan aside.

6. In a big bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar and vanilla essence, till light and

fluffy.

7. Once that is combined well, add the eggs, one at a time, whisking till it is fully

incorporated.

8. Sieve the flour and the baking powder so that air gets incorporated in the flour

making it light.

9. Then fold the flour into the egg and butter mixture and finally stir in the milk and

mix till there are no more streaks of flour.

10. Pour the cake batter over the apples and set it to bake for about 35-40 minutes

at 190C, till a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

11. If sometime while baking you think the top is getting heavily browned, cut a

piece of aluminum foil the size of the pan and place it over the pan to continue

cooking, but to stop browning.

12. Let the cake cool down for 10 minutes. First run a knife along the edges of the

cake and then place a plate on the pan and turn the cake over. Tap it slightly

and the cake will fall into the plate. Gently remove the parchment paper.

200 gms powdered sugar

90 gm Amul butter, at room temperature (softened)

120 gm Amul fresh cream

1. Take the sugar in a thick-bottomed non-stick pan and cook till it melts, stirring

continuously so that the sugar cooks evenly. (stages 1-4)

2. Once the sugar has reached a deep amber color (for quick reference the color

of whisky), take it off the heat and add all the butter. It will foam up, so be

careful. It is extremely hot. Stir until it is completely incorporated. (stage 5-6)

TIP: Always use room temperature butter, otherwise it doesn’t dissolve properly,

leaving behind small lumps.

3. Next pour in the cream. There will be some more foaming. Whisk it in until you

have a consistent sauce. (stage 7-8)

Note: Some sugar will harden and stick to the spatula. Don’t worry about it, it

tastes great like a toffee.

4. Let it cool completely and then bottle it up. It stays for about a week in the

refrigerator. Warm it up while using.

Pour the caramel sauce over the apple cake

while serving.

Servings: Makes one 8-9 inch cake, serves 8

• 3 blood oranges (the ones which have thick orange color skin), thinly sliced

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 200 gm Amul butter

• 200 gms powdered sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup almond powder (from roughly 105 gram blanched almonds)

• 1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 cup natural yoghurt (dahi)

1. In a saucepan, place the water and sugar on low heat till the sugar is melted.

Turn the heat to high and let it come to a boil.

2. Then add the orange slices and simmer it for 20-25 mins on medium heat, till the

orange skin becomes tender and slightly translucent.

3. Remove the slices with a slotted spoon and let them cool. Boil the syrup further till

it becomes thicker. Let it cool down.

4. Grease and line 8 or 9 inch cake tin with parchment paper. Brush the parchment

paper with some of the syrup so that the orange slices stick to it. Place the slices

on the parchment paper and over to the sides. Cut some into half to fit over the

sides of the pan. Reserve the syrup to brush over cake once baked.

5. With an electric blender or a whisk, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy and

add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in almond powder, flour and yogurt and mix until

just combined (do not overwork).

6. Pre-heat oven to 160°C.

7. Spoon it into the prepared tin making sure not to dislodge the orange slices.

8. Bake for 60 minutes @ 160°C until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

9. Let it cool, then upturn it. Gently remove the parchment paper off the cake.

Glaze the cake with the reserved sugar syrup. Serve into triangular wedges.

• Take about 5% more almonds than the required quantity of almond meal. Say if

you want 100 grams of almond meal, take about 105 grams almonds.

• Soak them overnight in water and in the morning, peel off the skin. Let the

almonds dry thoroughly before grinding. In a mixer, pulse the almonds till it forms

a coarse powder. Do not over grind as it would then turn into almond butter.

• Or, if you want to make it instantly, blanch almonds by boiling them for about a

minute or two, uncovered. Use your hand by and rub the skin off. Completely dry

the almonds before using, as the water will make it into butter.

The baked cakes can be wrapped in saran wrap and stored in the fridge for up to

seven days. Before serving, let them come to room temperature and then frost.