Soniaz Delights: December 2012

Here we are, in the last month of the year...December 2012. The month which gives the whole world all the reasons to celebrate, dress up in great colours, eat the best of the food, spend some quality time in the warmth of their loved ones in spite of the freezing cold weather. With the whole world in the celebration mood, this gives a great opportunity to make something really warm and nice for your family.

Continuing my quest to bake with fresh fruits of the season...today I am picking up Apples. Apple is one fruit which is available in thousand different varieties, all looking so pretty, delicious to eat and needless to say sufficient enough to keep the doctor away. There are so many different things which can be made using Apple as the main ingredients including cakes, breads, pies, sauce etc. This is the first time, I am baking something with apples. Hence I decided to go conventional and make an Apple Cake, adding the twist of rum and raisins to complement the festive season celebrations.

Okay, I just can't wait to show you my Apple, Rum and Raisin Cake...

Apple, Rum and Raisin Cake

I know, looking at the pictures you would also want to go straight to baking...

Here's what you gonna need for making Apple, Rum and Raisin Cake

226 gms (1 cup) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
200 gms (1 cup) granulated white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup rum
½ cup raisins
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt (omit the salt if you are using salted butter)
1 tsp lemon xest
390 gms (3 cups) all purpose flour
4 apples, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
¾ (180 ml) cup milk

Here's how you can make it

Preheat your oven to 180° C/ 350° F. Line an 8 inch round cake pan with baking parchment paper.

Soak the raisins in rum for a day or heat the raisins and rum in a saucepan over a medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add 2 tbsp of all purpose flour in apples and toss it so that apples get coated in flour. This helps apples to stick to the flour and avoid apples setting down in the cake pan while baking.

In a bowl, add all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and lemon zest and give it a stir so that baking soda and salt gets mixed properly in the flour.
Add apples in the dry ingredients and mix it well.

In another large bowl, all butter and sugar and beat it using your electric beater or stand mixer until nice and creamy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrap down the sides of the bowl whenever required. After adding all the eggs, the mixture will turn very soft, smooth and light lemon in colour.
Add vanilla essence and beat until incorporated.
Add raisins soaked in rum and mix it well with the help of your rubber spatula/ spoon.

Add the flour mixture (in three additions) alternatively with milk (in two additions), starting and ending with flour mixture. Fold the mixture after each addition until dry ingredients are completely incorporated into the wet ingredients.
That's it. The batter is ready to go into the baking pan

Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for about 60 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes. I initially baked for 50 minutes, checked and again baked for another 15 minutes i.e. a total of 65 minutes.

Place on a wire rack to cool completely (about 20 minutes) before taking our from the pan. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Store in an air tight container at room temperature.