A delicious yet simple cake, from Maria & Eva’s childhood, and their new book, Kindred.

This delicious, yet simple cake has been shared with us by sisters Maria and Eva Konecsny, founders of the beloved Gewürzhaus spice stores. It comes from their new book Kindred. Maria and Eva know that spices have the power to transform our everyday cooking. They also believe that cooking to feed our kin can be a deeply nourishing and connective force in our lives.

Next time you are in Daylesford, pick up these spices, or choose from hundreds more at the new Gewürzhaus store in the Rex Arcade, in the heart of Vincent Street.

25 minutes prep | 45 minutes cooking | 10 servings

Ingredients

150g salted butter, at room temperature, plus 30 g melted butter
150g white sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp ground cassia*
¼ tsp ground cloves*
¼ tsp ground nutmeg*
1 tsp dried rose petals, crushed by rubbing between your fingertips*
150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
75g (¾ cup) ground almonds
1–2 tbsp full-cream milk, if needed
4–5 small to medium apples
2–3 tsp icing sugar
Ice cream, cream or custard, to serve
*SPICE SHORTCUTS use 4½ tsp Gewürzhaus Apple Cake Spice

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced. Grease and flour a 23 cm round springform cake tin and tap out the excess flour.
2. Using electric beaters, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl for about 5 minutes, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Once combined, add the spices and rose petals and beat thoroughly for a few minutes.
3. Sift in the flour and add the ground almonds, then beat until combined. The batter should be quite firm. However, if it is too stiff, you may need to add a few tablespoons of milk to loosen it. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared tin.
4. Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. With their flat-sides down, cut slits a few millimetres apart into each apple half, stopping just shy of the centre. Take care not to cut right through.
5. Place the apple halves, slit-side up, in a circle around the edge of the cake, with one in the middle, and gently press them 5 mm into the batter. Brush the apple with some of the melted butter and bake for about 30 minutes.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter, then bake for a further 10–15 minutes, until golden brown. Insert a wooden skewer into the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
7. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. When the cake is cold, shake the icing sugar over it with a sieve.
8. The cake is best served with ice cream, cream or custard. It will keep for one week in an airtight container stored in a cool place.

COOK’S NOTES: To make this gluten free, replace the flour with buckwheat flour and add 2–3 tsp gluten-free baking powder.

Hero image by Armelle Habib