Apple Tea Cake

I’m almost embarrassed to tell you how quickly this cake disappeared in our house. The good thing is that it appeared almost as fast: You can have this perfectly moist and lovely apple cake on your table in just over a half hour. Make it for breakfast or afternoon tea (it’s buttery and tender but not too sweet) or drizzle it with caramel sauce for a deliciously simple and homey dessert.

What makes this cake so good and so easy? No serious mixing—all you need is a cheese grater and a spoon—and a “secret” ingredient: kefir. A form of fermented milk traditional to the Caucasus region on the border of Europe and Asia, kefir is a bit like runny yogurt and excellent for baking of all kinds. Use it in place of buttermilk in any recipe. Personally, I like it better than buttermilk or yogurt for cooking because it has a mild yeasty flavor in addition to the familiar sour tang of buttermilk or yogurt. (Kefir is fermented by yeasts as well as bacteria.)

I make my own kefir at home, but you can usually find it at the grocery or health food store near the milk or yogurt. The store-bought version is homogenized and mild in flavor. Homemade kefir is more strongly flavored and very easy to make if you can get your hands on some kefir “grains.” I’ve included a recipe below, but store-bought kefir works just as well for this cake.

Apple Tea Cake

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• Author: Maya Parson
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8
• Diet: Omnivore

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Description

A moist, buttery cake perfect for breakfast or tea. Super quick to make!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/4 cups (150 g) white flour
• 1/2 cup (52 g) whole oats, rolled
• 2 1/2 tbsp (25 g) white sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp (25 g) brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp (3 g) teaspoon salt
• 1/4 tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 tsp (5 g) teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 tsp (2 g) teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tbsp (82 g) cold unsalted butter
• 1 cup (230 g) plain kefir
• 1 Yellow Delicious apple, cored but not peeled, chopped into 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) pieces
• 1 tbsp (13 g) butter for dotting top of cake
• 1 tbsp (10 g) Demerara or brown sugar for sprinkling
• 1/3 cup (35 g) chopped pecans or walnuts
• Salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
2. Combine flour, oats, white sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Grate butter with a cheese grater.
4. Mix butter into dry ingredients quickly but thoroughly with your hands; ensure small pea-size bits of butter remain.
5. Add kefir and stir with a spoon until just combined.
6. Add apple chunks.
7. Add nuts, if using.
8. Pour batter into a buttered pie pan or springform pan.
9. Dot with remaining butter, sprinkle with demerara or brown sugar, and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Homemade Kefir
11. Place kefir grains in a glass container.
12. Cover with 2-4 cups of fresh milk.
13. Cover container loosely with a lid, cloth, or plastic wrap.
14. Allow kefir to ferment overnight at room temperature.
15. Gently remove grains with a spoon or strainer.
16. Place the grains in fresh milk to restart fermentation.
17. Store the kefir in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Notes

• For a richer flavor, use a combination of brown and white sugar.
• If you don’t have kefir, you can substitute buttermilk or yogurt.
• Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Baking
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 250
• Sugar: 15
• Sodium: 100
• Fat: 12
• Saturated Fat: 7
• Unsaturated Fat: 4
• Carbohydrates: 35
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 4
• Cholesterol: 20

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