Bramley
Apple Cake
with
Rhubarb & Vanilla
Mascarpone
Ingredients
Cake
•
225gms soft salted butter (or
margarine)
• 225gms light soft brown sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 225gms SR flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2tsp vanilla essence
•
400gms peeled, cored and
grated Bramley apples
White sugar nibs and diced apple
to finish
You know me well enough by now
to know that I really love using
what’s in season wherever I can
– so for this Spring I’ve opted
for our fantastic Bramley apples,
complemented by vibrant forced
rhubarb. These two sharp flavours
marry perfectly in this moist sweet
and dense sponge and the soft
filling reminds me of rhubarb fool.
If you like more sharpness you
can always add more rhubarb
but for me, (and I don’t have a
particularly sweet tooth believe
it or not!) this just about hits
the spot – a tang of apple and
rhubarb with the soft sweetness of
the mascarpone and vanilla filling.
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Method
Pre-heat your oven to 180ºc/350ºF/
GasMark4.
Rinse the rhubarb then trim and cut into
1” chunks and place in a shallow glass
or china oven proof dish. Sprinkle on the
100gms of caster sugar and cover with foil
(do not let the foil touch the rhubarb; the
two don’t get along too well!) The secret
to ensuring that your rhubarb remains
that brilliant pink and does not turn in to
a green stringy slush is to roast it in this
way for 30 mins until it is just soft and only
just has a hint of brown – then it’s done,
it will be in a gorgeous pool of bright pink
syrup where the sugar has dissolved in
the juices – perfect for brushing on your
sponges later. Leave to cool, then drain,
reserving the cooking syrup.
Filling and Topping
• 400gms rhubarb
• 100gms caster sugar
• 1 x 250gm tub of Mascarpone
• 1 good tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1tbsp caster sugar