Upside-Down Spiced Apple Cake
By OcadoLife
Published on 21 December 2021
Feed a crowd with this Upside-Down
Spiced Apple Cake by vegan cook and nutritionist Melissa Saint Hill. The recipe
uses naturally sweet Pink Lady apples, so you don’t need as much sugar in the
syrup. Plus their crunch provides a lovely contrast to the cake’s light, fluffy
texture. A little black pepper brings a touch of spice. Time and servings
1 hr 40 minsTotal time
14Servings
1 hr 40 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 350 g of light soft brown sugar
- 1.5 tsp of finely ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp of ground cinnamon, plus 1tsp for the syrup
- 450 ml of soya milk
- 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
- 305 g of dairy-free spread, softened, plus extra for the tins
- 180 ml of cold-pressed rapeseed oil
- 9 tbsp of oggs aquafaba, or 9tbsp of liquid from a 400g tin of unsalted chickpeas
- 540 g of self-raising flour
- 2 tsp of baking powder
- 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
- 0.25 tsp of sea salt
- 1.5 tsp of vanilla extract
- 3 pink lady apples, quartered, core removed, and thinly sliced vertically
- 250 g of icing sugar
Method
Step 1
To make the syrup, add 50g of the brown sugar to a saucepan, along with 1tsp of the black pepper, the 1tsp of cinnamon and 120ml water. Heat gently for 15 mins until syrupy, then set aside.Step 2
Meanwhile, add the soya milk and apple cider vinegar to a bowl; leave for 10 mins to thicken and curdle, whisking occasionally.Step 3
Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3. Grease the base and sides of 3 x round 20cm cake tins with the extra spread, then line with baking paper.Step 4
Beat 180g of the spread, the oil and the remaining brown sugar with an electric whisk for 2-3 mins, until light. Add the milk mix and the aquafaba (or chickpea water) and whisk for 1 min at most; it will look curdled but that’s fine! Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt, plus the 2tbsp of cinnamon and 1tbsp of the vanilla extract. Use a spatula to gently fold everything into the mix.Step 5
Pour the syrup into one of the cake tins, then layer in the apple slices, starting in the middle and working out in circles. Add the cake batter, dividing it between the 3 tins. Bake in the middle of the oven for up to 1 hr 10 mins. Check at 1 hr – they’re ready when golden in colour and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 mins before turning out onto a cooling rack. Carefully remove the baking paper, then leave to cool completely.Step 6
Put the remaining spread and vanilla extract in a bowl and add up to ½tsp black pepper to taste. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating with an electric whisk until thick. Cover and chill until needed.Step 7
When fully cool, place one of the plain cakes on a serving plate and use a palette knife to spread a third of the buttercream on top. Place the second plain cake on top, spread with another third of buttercream, then top with the apple cake. Spread the remaining buttercream onto the sides of the layers, smoothing it on then scraping away any excess to create a ‘naked’ appearance. It will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.