This amazing Apple and Cinnamon cake has an ingredient I’ve never used in a cake before: clotted cream and boy does it add a great texture to this cake!
Well, hello there! How are you? It’s been a while since I was back in the kitchen or writing recipes, but the summer holidays are over and it’s back to work. I have one seriously incredibly cake to share with you in this Apple and Cinnamon Clotted Cream Cake.
It’s the first time I’ve put clotted cream in a cake and oh wow, it really adds a magic touch!
But first I thought I’d share what we’ve been up to this past few months. The start of summer I was just working my other job and watching tennis. I got a new car which has made driving absolutely amazing again. I’ve had no sciatica driving since I got my automatic car and it’s been pretty life changing.
I’ve also been wearing a back brace to work and that has been pretty life changing too. It doesn’t mean I have no pain, but it’s more tolerable and I can get through a shift at work without struggling to walk out.
What else? Ummm family life has been really good, my nephew turned one and started walking over the summer. I’m now able to go down and see my parents and great Aunt more frequently again, since it doesn’t hurt to drive. The wider family have stayed away and it’s been lovely, quiet and drama free. My parents celebrated 25 years of marriage… I think that’s all family wise.
The most exciting thing happened just last week – we went to Amsterdam! It was really last minute, which is unheard of me. I am a planner, I like to know what’s happening far in advance. However, my husband and I had two weeks off of work and last Monday we were just like “why don’t we go away?” So 48 hours later we were on our way to the airport!
Yes… I got on a plane again. I hated every single second, but Amsterdam is just glorious and I want to go back! It’s clean, beautiful and everyone is so nice! The flight was literally 35 minutes, but I still am in a state of panic for the entire duration.
We tried something different this time – we flew out dinner time Wednesday, went straight to the hotel, had a nights sleep and then had 2 full days to explore. It worked so well, when we went to Paris, we went in the morning and already had the tennis booked for the afternoon so it ended up being a really long day.
The second day it rained, but Friday was glorious and this was one of the many canals:
We walked for miles and found the most amazing shops; we went into a huge cheese shop – the smell was amazing!
We got some gouda and smoked cheese and they taste incredible. Then we went to find a chocolate shop another blogger told me about, Urban Cacao.
Oh my goodness. Chocolate HEAVEN!
We spent £40 on chocolate hahahahahah!!! I walked in and just picked up one of everything that caught my eye! The smell was intoxicating, they had many types of dark chocolate and then some fun flavours – I of course went for the fun flavours; stroopwafel milk chocolate anyone? Apple pie chocolate? Yes and yes.
We then had the best hot chocolate ever and headed back into central Amsterdam to do a spot of shopping.
My initial reason for visiting Amsterdam was that I wanted a freshly made stroopwafel. I ended up completely falling for the whole city, but man the stroopwafel was worth it.
We went to Albert Cuyp market as we heard the best stroopwafels ever were there. I concur. It was the best one I’ve ever had. I had a plain one and my husband had one with melted chocolate on. We decided the chocolate was nice, but it didn’t actually need it.
The best burger and chips in the world is also down some random street in Amsterdam. It’s called Pancake and Burgerbar and it’s a tiny little restaurant nestled among bigger restaurants, so it’s easy to miss. It was 3pm, we had been walking all day and not eaten since breakfast, so famished we went in.
BEST DECISION EVER. I cannot even begin to tell you how insanely good the burger was. Juicy, smoky, seasoned…. topped with bacon, cheese, mayonnaise and pickles. And the fries?! Skin on, crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
We absolutely have to go back next time we visit. I’ve eaten many burgers in my time, but Mr AN and I both agreed this was the best burger we’ve ever eaten!
NOW, let’s talk cake. Apple and cinnamon is one of my favourite flavour combinations ever, they compliment each other so well. So I decided to experiment with putting clotted cream inside a cake. It was a fantastic decision, because the lightness and soft texture is otherworldly. I made a fairly standard cake and added cinnamon to it, then placed thin slices of apple on top of the cake.
The result is a soft, flavourful, spicy cake with a hint of apple on the top. It’s the texture thing for me though, this cake has the perfect crumb. Not a hint of dryness, it’s totally addictive and moreish!
It takes a little longer to cook than a standard 8×8 inch cake as even if you dry the apple slices, they do add a little moisture to the top of the cake. I baked the cake at 180C/350F for 25 minutes for it to rise and turn golden. I then turned the oven down to 160C/325F and baked it for 20 minutes longer until a skewer came out clean.
Leave it to cool, slice it into bars and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea… or alone – honestly I couldn’t stop eating this cake!
Apple and Cinnamon Clotted Cream Cake
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly; use whatever apples you like, I used Early Windsor
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 stick (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cups (280g) plain/all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (150g) clotted cream, I used Rodda's
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and spray an 8x8 inch square pan with cooking spray. Place one strip of grease proof paper across the pan, spray with cooking spray and then place another strip perpendicular to the first one.
- Place your sliced apples into a shallow bowl and cover with water. Add in the lemon juice, mix briefly with your hands and leave to one side.
- Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides as necessary, and mix on medium speed until well combined, around 1 minute.
- Add in the salt, baking powder, cinnamon and flour and mix on low until the mixture begins to come together. Then add in the clotted cream and continue to mix on low-medium speed until everything is smooth and well combined.
- Tip the batter into your prepared pan and smooth into an even layer with a spatula/back of a spoon.
- Drain the apples in a sieve and then place them into a bowl lined with kitchen paper. Dry off the slices of apple and then place slices into the top of the cake. I did this in three strips, I left a gap around the edge of the cake, then made one strip of apples before turning the apple slices 180 to go back the other way. I finished with a third strip of apples going the same way as the first strip. You don't have to do this, but I thought it looked pretty!
- Place in the oven at 180C/350F for 25 minutes, then turn the oven down to 160C/325F and cook for 15-20 minutes, until a skewer comes out of the centre clean and the middle doesn't look wet anymore. Even though you dried the apples, they still add a little moisture to the mixture!
- Leave to cool completely, before using the strips of grease proof paper to lift the cake out. Trim the edges and then slice into 9 bars. I cut along the apple strips and then cut each strip into three.
- Apple and Cinnamon Clotted Cream Cake will keep in an airtight container, in the fridge for 3 days, but is best served at room temperature.
