Bursting with the flavors of autumn, this cake has tart apples, warming cinnamon, toffee-like dates, and crunchy pecans. It is topped with a glistening apricot glaze, giving it a festive appearance. This is a lovely alternative to a traditional fruit cake and the chunks of fresh apple make it wonderfully moist. The orchards at Sandringham are the source of the most beautiful apples. My favorite variety was ‘Howgate Wonder’—gorgeous, huge, sweet, juicy, cooking apples. Unlike other cooking varieties, they hold their shape perfectly when cooked, so are brilliant for this cake.
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Yields:
12
Prep Time:
0
hours
30
mins
Total Time:
1
hour
30
mins
c.
(170 g.) butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan
c.
(350 g.) cake flour
c.
(150 g.) light muscovado sugar
medium apples, such as Coxes
c.
(100 g.) soft pitted dates, roughly chopped
c.
(50 g.) pecans, roughly chopped
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- Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F (180°C). Butter bottom and sides of an 8″ (20-cm) round loose-based or springform cake pan, dust sides with flour, and line base with a circle of parchment paper.
- Lightly whisk eggs, then add to melted butter. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well until sugar is evenly distributed. Wash and dry apples. Core two of them and cut into 1/2″ (1-cm) cubes, leaving the skin on. Stir apples, dates, and half of pecans into flour until coated. Pour butter mixture into flour and gently stir, making sure that there are no small pockets of flour in mixture.
- Spoon batter into pan; smooth top. Slice remaining apple (unpeeled) very thinly into circles, discarding seeds. Arrange slices over top of cake and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. The slices of apple on top should have curled at the edges. After about 40 minutes, loosely cover top of cake with foil to prevent slivers of apple from burning.
- Let cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes, then carefully turn cake out onto rack.
- In a small pan over medium heat, heat jam until it just begins to bubble. Brush warm jam over top and sides of cake.
- Make Ahead: Cake can be made 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and chill.
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