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Gâteau Aux Pommes

Fri., November 23, 2007

Nothing goes better on a cold, late-autumn day with Rocky IV on T.V. than a tasty beef stir-fry made by my brother Andrew, and this apple cake I made, the French of which I can’t pronounce other than to proclaim it “tasty.”

It sported a crusty, caramelized edge where the apples and the raw sugar did the nasty up against the buttered sides of the Pyrex baking dish. The majority of the cake itself was very moist, which I hadn’t expected, on account of the canned pineapple (which I couldn’t even taste) and the shredded apples. Appletastic!

The sauce was simple and effective. I am an apple brandy convert, and better to buy Calvados than some obscure old-lady schnapps of the type that’s used for a recipe calling for one teaspoon, then collects dust in a cupboard for the next 15 years. After refrigerating the leftover sauce, it solidified into a sugary, fatty mass that would cause the veins in a coronary surgeon’s forehead to bulge alarmingly by merely looking at it.

The recipe comes from chef Laurent Tourondel, as served at the BLT Market, and taken from the November 12th issue of New York magazine. I followed the directions to the letter except for the crème fraîche, but the dessert was just fine without it.

Gâteau Aux Pommes With Calvados-Caramel Sauce

  • APPLES:
  • 4 McIntosh apples
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons light-brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • CAKE:
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup dark-brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded McIntosh apple
  • 1/2 cup canned unsweetened crushed pineapple
  • 1/4 cup Sugar in the Raw
  • SAUCE:
  • 1 1/3 cups dark-brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Calvados
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. APPLES: Peel the apples, cut in half, and remove the cores. Heat the butter in a large sauté pan, add the sugar, cinnamon, and apple halves. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-high heat, turning the apples often until they are tender crisp. Remove from the pan, and set aside to cool. Slice the apples into 1/8-inch slices.
  3. CAKE: Sift together the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil, then pour over the dry ingredients. Stir in the shredded apples and drained pineapple until well blended.
  4. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, and coat the bottom and sides of the pan with the Sugar in the Raw. Fan the sautéed apple slices over the bottom of the pan and pour the batter on top. Bake for about 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Place the cake pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan, and invert onto a serving plate.
  5. SAUCE: Place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until the sauce is smooth. Pour over the warm cake and serve with crème fraîche.

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