Curd cake with caramelised apples

Curd cake with caramelised apples (Joe Woodhouse/PA)

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Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving

Calories 386 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 15g94%

Cholesterol 118mg39%

Sodium 64mg3%

Potassium 119mg3%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 23g26%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 804IU16%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 119mg12%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

A twist on a traditional Slavic cake

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Ukrainian

Servings:

Calories: 386kcal

Author: Olia Hercules

Equipment

Frying pan
20cm square or round cake tin
Electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
Bowl

Ingredients

200 g unsalted butter softened
200 g apples cored and sliced
1 tbsp brown sugar
200 g golden caster sugar
3 eggs separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
500 g ricotta or good-quality cottage cheese
120 g fine semolina or polenta
pinch of salt

Method

Melt 25g of the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the apples and cook for two to three minutes on each side until they start to turn golden. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and cook the apples for another minute on each side, then transfer the caramelised apples to a bowl and let them cool slightly.
Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6 and grease a 20cm square or round cake tin with butter. Lay the apples in the base of the cake tin.
If, like me, you left your butter out in the kitchen overnight, but it was so blooming cold it didn’t soften properly, cut the rest of it into small pieces. Whatever state the butter is in, put it into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, along with 150g of the caster sugar, and whisk until it’s looking fairly fluffy. Break the egg yolks with a fork and gradually add them, whisking well, then whisk in the vanilla extract and cheese. Transfer the mixture to another bowl, then fold in the semolina or polenta (the latter will result in a cake with more texture).
Wash and dry your mixer bowl and whisk attachment thoroughly, then put in the egg whites and whisk until they start frothing up. Add the remaining 50g of caster sugar and the salt and keep whisking until you have soft peaks. Now take a large spoonful of the egg white mixture and fold it quite vigorously into the butter and cheese mixture to loosen it up. Add the rest of the egg white mixture and fold in gently. Pour the mixture over the apples in the cake tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until it is a little wobbly, but not liquid. Remember it will set more firmly as it cools.
Leave the cake in its tin to rest and cool down, then slice and serve. Some unsweetened tea with lemon goes perfectly with this.

Nutrition