• 1 sachet (10g) sugar with vanillin (vanilla sugar)
• 1 cup (100g) coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup (125g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup (160g) sugar
• 1/2 cup (65g) soft light brown sugar
• 2 medium eggs (M)
• 2/3 cup (170ml) milk, room temperature
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease and flour a 24cm round springform pan.
For the Base (Caramel Layer):
1. In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, unsalted butter, and cinnamon. Heat over the stove until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the salt, stir, and pour this mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Peel the apples, remove the cores, and slice them thinly. Arrange the slices tightly in the pan, overlapping them to cover the entire base. Dice any remaining apple pieces and set them aside to mix into the cake batter.
Prepare the Cake Batter:
1. In a bowl, mix together the self-raising flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, vanilla sugar, and chopped walnuts. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, continuing to beat until you have a smooth mixture. Reduce the mixer speed and gradually add half of the flour mixture. Pour in the milk, then add the remaining flour mixture. Fold in the reserved diced apples using a spatula. Gently spread the cake batter over the apple layer in the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve as is, or top each slice with a scoop of your favorite ice cream.
