Invisible Apple Cheddar Cake
This Invisible Apple Cheddar Cake features paper-thin slices of apple suspended in a delicate crepe-like batter accented with sharp cheddar. Serve the cake with caramel sauce, whipped cream, or Honey Whipped Ricotta.
Equipment
- 1 mandoline
- 1 hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment
- 1 Loaf pan
Ingredients
- 5 Honeycrisp apples peeled and sliced 1/8" thick
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard heaping
- 140g (5oz) + more for sprinkling sharp cheddar **
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease and flour a loaf pan and line it with a parchment sling. Set it aside.
- Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Set it aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt
- In a large bowl place the milk, butter, eggs, and sugar. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whisk the egg mixture on high until pale and glossy. This should take about 2 minutes.½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 3 large eggs, ⅔ cup sugar
- Add half of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk until no lumps remain. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and stir in the Dijon mustard.1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Add the apple slices and cheddar to the batter and toss to coat the apple slices and disperse the cheese. Set aside 40-50 intact and nice looking batter-coated apple slices for topping your cake.5 Honeycrisp apples, 140g (5oz) + more for sprinkling sharp cheddar **
- Using clean hands, arrange the remaining apple slices in an overlapping pattern along the base of the loaf pan. Continue layering the apple slices on top of each other until you run out of slices.
- Press the apples down and then carefully arrange a final layer with the perfect slices you set aside earlier. Pour any remaining batter on top of the final layer and tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Sprinkle the surface with a little more cheddar.
- Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 65-75 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center of the cake with little resistance and come out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the cake and using the handles of the parchment sling to remove it. Leave the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving with a side of ice cream, caramel sauce, or Honey Whipped Ricotta. ***
Notes
** Make sure you select a very sharp cheddar. You can also use Red Leicester if you prefer.
*** Find the recipe for the Honey Whipped Ricotta here.