CAPRICORN COOKS: May 2014

This "Sort of Apple Crumble Cake" has always been a big hit with my family and friends.

It uses basic ingredients, apples, sugar, margarine, flour and eggs for the most part, but of course there are a few additions that bump the flavor up quite a bit.

You don’t have to make such a large cake (as pictured here) in a disposable pan; I usually make a number of smaller cakes which I freeze and then re-warm.

This super large cake has become an annual event - my oldest daughter and her childhood friends have been asking me to make it for their annual Independence Day picnic for upwards of 15 years. Now that I think about it, this is really a "can’t eat just one piece" type of cake.

I also invested in an **Apple Peeler, Slicer, Corer which makes the Apple coring, slicing peeling part easy and very professional looking!

Ingredients: (from left to right) Granny Smith Apples, Applesauce, Cake Flour, Margarine,
Cinnamon, Vanilla Sugar, Apricot Jelly, 2 Eggs, Sugar

[Rating – easy, but there are steps involved]

Preparation time:

20 minutes [using one very large aluminum disposable pan or smaller pans]

30 minutes [if you have to peel and slice the apples]

45 minutes baking time

Ingredients:

Dough

200 grams of melted margarine or butter (I use margarine)

1 cup sugar

4 cups cake flour

2 eggs

2 tablespoons oil

2 envelops of vanilla sugar

Salt

Cake Flour, Margarine, Vanilla Sugar, 2 Eggs, Sugar

Filling

(the measurements are approximate, you can use more or less but you must cover the dough with each layer of ingredient)

2 cups of Jelly/Jam*

2 cups Applesauce (sweetened or unsweetened) (about one can)

6-8 Granny Smith apples (peeled and sliced)**

½ cup Lemon juice (to prevent the apples from turning brown)

¼ cup sugar

Cinnamon (about 4-6 Tablespoons or more)

*Apricot, Strawberry, Blueberry, Passion Fruit or whatever you have around.

**The Apple Peeler, Corer and Slicer can be purchased from AMAZON and DOMO.

Granny Smith Apples, Cinnamon, Jelly/Jam/Lemon Juice, Applesauce
and my good old Apple Peeler Corer Slicer**

Preparation:

Step 1: Dough

In a medium sized bowl mix together with a big spoon:
Melted margarine*, sugar, oil, flour eggs and 1 envelop of vanilla sugar.
Mix with a strong spoon, until all the ingredients are mixed together (about 2-3 minutes).
The mixture will produce a dough that is soft and easy to work with.
The dough should be soft and pliable and NOT stick to your fingers.
Let the dough rest a bit.

*(a quick zap in the microwave oven melts the margarine)

Margarine with Sugar

Margarine, Sugar and 2 Eggs

Add the Cake Flour and Salt and Mix with that spoon

Result: Dough - soft and not sticky

Step 2: Apples

Peel and core the apples, then cut into half-moon thin slices;

I actually cheat, I have this great apple peeler, slicer, corer** that does it all at once (see picture); all I have to do is cut the apple in half to get my half-moon shaped slices.

In a large bowl add the apples and coat with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon.

Mix by hand until all the apples are coated evening.

Let sit of a few minutes.

**The Apple Peeler, Corer and Slicer can be purchased at AMAZON and DOMO.

My Peeler, Corer, Slicer in action**

Apple - sliced, cored and peeled

Cut slices

Slice down the center
to make half-moons

Add lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon

Mix by-hand to coat the Apples

**The Apple Peeler, Corer and Slicer can be purchased at AMAZON and DOMO.

Step 3: The Cake

This total recipe is good for a large aluminum throw away pan, with high sides.

(Feel free to make smaller cakes, as gifts or to freeze for later.)

Take a large handful of dough, squeeze it together to make a ball.

Carefully press a thin layer of the dough on the bottom or your pan, the important word is thin – don’t be afraid to go thin!

Repeat this step until the whole bottom is covered evenly.

[There should be about half the dough mixture left in the bowl.]

Apple slices, Jelly, Applesauce,
Dough and a Very Large Disposable Baking Pan

Dough on the pan before
pressing into a THIN layer

See how THIN the layer of dough should be

The whole pan is covered

Dough remaining in the bowl (about 2 large handfuls)

Step 4: Jelly/Jam

Next – spread the jam or jelly evenly over the dough.

Use the back of a spoon – make sure you get the jelly into the all the corners.

Adding the Jelly/Jam

Jelly/Jam spread over the Dough

Step 5: Applesauce

Spread the applesauce over the jelly/jam.

Again, Use a spoon to spread it evenly over the jelly.

Adding Applesauce

Applesauce spread over the Jelly/Jam

Step 6: Apples

Carefully place the apples in a single layer on the applesauce (see photo).

Place Apples in a single layer

Apple layer completed

Step 7: Crumble Topping

Take a big handful of squeezed together dough and using an “old fashioned” potato grater, grate the dough over the apples until they are completely covered; use all the remaining dough.