Let Them Eat Cake

Yesterday's pretty sunrise was a portent of the crappy day of weather ahead of us. It was blustery and cloudy, and by day's end a big black cloud formed in the sky, dumping rain for most of the evening. Today, we're back to sunshine, although it is decidedly cooler than it has been. We still want to do some hiking, but I have a feeling we'll wait until the weekend is over. Maybe not...one never knows.

I took a break from slow stitching and photography yesterday in order to try a cake recipe I saw in the NYTimes a few weeks ago. I wanted to try to turn it into a cake for two, and so that was yesterday's challenge. My adaptations don't always work, but this one was a winner. You first peel, core and dice an apple...mine was a Granny Smith...and then cook it in some butter and brown sugar. When that cools, you can make the cake, adding in the cooked apples at the end.

Mine was baked in an 8-inch skillet. Be sure you know your skillet size before attempting any kind of skillet baking. I learned the hard way that iron skillets, unlike other cake pans, are measured across the top, from edge to edge, rather than from the bottom surface. So, an 8-inch skillet is sort of a medium-sized skillet. Also, I've decided that baking in the microwave/convection combination oven doesn't work very well, and so I used my regular propane oven for this. When the cake was baked, it looked like this:

When it was cooled, I made the caramel frosting. This is done using soft caramel candies that have been melted in the microwave. I was surprised how quickly this happened. The recipe instructs to give them 20-second bursts in the microwave. Mine were bubbling and threatening to overflow their bowl after just three bursts. If you try this, pay attention during this step. Also, I suggest using a paper bowl or a paper cup for this. The caramel hardens very quickly when it comes out of the microwave. It stayed soft long enough for me to make the frosting, but the residue left in my Corelle bowl and on the spoon and spatula I used was difficult to clean off. It was like a Sugar Daddy (please tell me you're old enough to remember Sugar Daddys), sticky and hard. Plenty of hot water also got the job done, but something disposable would have been better.

When it was frosted, it looked like this. We waited to cut into it until after dinner, but I was pretty excited to see how it all came together with my adaptations to the original recipe.

And I'm just gonna say right here and now that this really is a cake for four. Half a cake would be a ridiculous amount to eat. But then, after eating it, I'd say it's actually probably a cake for six. The frosting is very sweet. I'm a sugar fiend, and so I like the sweetness, but it would probably be too high on the "ick" scale for most people. When we cut into it, it looked like this.

But you're supposed to add flaky salt just before serving it. I used my coarse kosher salt, sprinkling it on after having taken the shot above. The shot with the salt is kind of blurry since the camera decided to focus on just the salt. Nevertheless, I wanted you to see how it looks once the "salt" for the "salted" caramel was added.

Despite the sweetness, Mike and I each finished our piece, and it was very tasty. I should say too that the cake alone was delicious. Even if you decided not to frost it, the cake would be good with a little dollop of whipped cream. So, here's my adaptation of the original recipe:

Apple Skillet Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting for Two

adapted from the NYTimes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

FOR THE CARAMEL APPLES:

2 tablespoons/27.5 grams unsalted butter

1 large baking apple (about 6 ounces/170 grams), such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Granny Smith or Braeburn, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup/110 grams dark brown sugar

Pinch fine sea salt

FOR THE CAKE:

1/4 cup/55 grams unsalted butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature, plus more for the pan

2/3 cup/145 grams dark brown sugar

1 large egg + 1 egg white

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup + 1-1/2 tablespoons/108 grams all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

FOR THE CARAMEL FROSTING:

6 Tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter (3/4 stick), at room temperature

1-1/2 cups/185 grams confectioners' sugar, sifted

3.5 ounces/103 grams unwrapped soft caramel candies

1 tablespoon heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Flaky sea salt, as needed, for finishing

Directions:

Make the apples: In a 8-inch sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the apples soften slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8-inch oven-proof skillet with butter.

Make the cake: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the egg and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl well, then beat in the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to combine. Add the flour mixture to the mixer and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the bowl well.

With a rubber spatula, gently fold the apple mixture (including all of the caramel-like liquid in the pan) into the batter. Mix just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread into an even layer. Bake until the surface is evenly golden brown and appears set – a toothpick inserted into the center should have a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely.

Make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.

Place the caramels in a microwave-safe container. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring, until the caramel is warm and fluid. (This mixture will cool quickly, so be sure to do it just before you mix the frosting.) Add the warm (not hot) caramel mixture and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Scrape the bowl well.

Add the cream and vanilla and mix to combine. The frosting should be smooth and very soft. Scoop the frosting onto the cooled cake, and spread into an even layer. Garnish with flaky salt just before serving.

* * * * *

Okay, so the hummingbirds found the relocated feeder right away. The seed-eating birds haven't found their feeder yet, and so I hope they'll come back. There wasn't enough sun to get this guy's glowing red head in a photograph, but we should have better luck with our pictures today.

Smitty is currently making himself very available for a walk. He didn't get out yesterday, and so we'll be sure to get him out today.

I have another photography challenge planned today. My book fell open to the challenge entitled, "Repeat After Me." The challenge is to photograph patterns, and so we'll take another walk around today and see what we can see. Also, I'm hoping to get in some slow-stitching time today. I hate to admit it, but my thumb felt better after giving it a rest yesterday. I've been limiting myself to two lengths of floss recently...and since the floss is separated into three lengths of two strands, that ends up being six lengths of stitching. Maybe I'll try doing just one length today and see if my thumb can handle that. Or maybe I'll try doing one length in the morning and one in the afternoon. We'll see.