Apple and Cardamom Cake
I arrived quite late to make this apple and cardamom cake, although I have known it since childhood and loved it when my grandmother made it. In my childhood, there weren't so many spices available, so the addition of cardamom is a nice recent touch. I received the original recipe from Rocsy Ciobanu, but I modified it a bit to better suit my taste. I have repeated it at home, especially in the fall when the apples are good. Quick Info Total time: about 1 hour and 15 minutes Preparation time: 30 minutes Baking time: 40-45 minutes Servings: 1 large tray (8-10 pieces, depending on how you cut) Difficulty: medium Recipe type: homemade cake, seasonal dessert Ingredients For the dough: 2 eggs + 1 yolk 9 tablespoons oil 9 tablespoons milk 9 tablespoons sugar 2 packets vanilla sugar 650 g flour vanilla essence, to taste zest of one lemon 1 teaspoon baking soda quenched with a little lemon juice a bit of semolina (for sprinkling on the dough) For the filling: 2 kg apples 7 cardamom pods 75 g butter Preparation method 1. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until the sugar completely dissolves. Add the oil, milk, vanilla essence, and grated lemon zest. 2. Quench the baking soda with a little lemon juice, then add it to the mixture. 3. Gradually add the flour, mixing constantly. As the mixture becomes denser, switch from mixing to kneading. If the dough is too sticky, you can sprinkle a little extra flour, but not too much. It should be a dough that can be rolled out, not too hard. 4. Cover the dough and let it rest while you prepare the filling. 5. Peel the apples and remove the seeds, then grate them coarsely. Squeeze the grated apples in your hand and drain them well before cooking, so they don’t release too much liquid into the cake. 6. Put the butter in a pot and let it melt. Break the cardamom pods and remove the seeds. Lightly crush the seeds and add them to the pot along with the drained grated apples. 7. Sauté the filling over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the apples soften and the liquid reduces. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 8. Divide the dough into two equal parts. On a floured surface, roll out the first sheet with a rolling pin. Transfer it to a tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle a little semolina over the sheet to absorb some moisture from the filling. 9. Spread all the apple filling over the first sheet, leveling it well. 10. Roll out the second half of the dough into a sheet and place it over the apple layer. 11. Prick it here and there with a fork so that it doesn’t puff up while baking. Brush the top sheet with the reserved egg yolk. 12. Place the tray in the oven at low heat for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cake has a light golden color on top. 13. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tray. Once cooled, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Why I make the recipe often I love it because it has accessible ingredients and is perfect when I have many apples on hand. It cuts nicely, the filling stays between the sheets, and the cardamom adds a nice touch compared to classic versions. It keeps well for a few days and doesn’t dry out quickly. Tips and variations Tips - For the dough, don’t overdo it with the flour while kneading; it should be slightly soft so you can easily roll out the sheets. - Don’t skip the step of squeezing the apples; otherwise, the cake may turn out too moist. - If you use sweet apples, you can add a little lemon juice to the filling for balance. - Bake the cake at low heat; if the temperature is too high, the top sheet will harden quickly and brown before the middle is done. Substitutions - Cardamom can be replaced with cinnamon if you don’t have cardamom pods or don’t like its taste. - You can use fattier butter for a creamier filling or add some raisins if you like, but it’s not necessary. Variations - You can also add some chopped nuts to the filling. - The sheets can be further flavored with a little rum essence if you like. - If you have more acidic apples, the taste becomes fresher; you can combine several varieties. Serving ideas - The cake is good plain, with powdered sugar on top. - It also goes well with a spoonful of yogurt or cold sour cream, especially the next day. - It can be served with coffee or for breakfast, with tea. Frequently asked questions 1. Can I use unpeeled apples? I recommend peeling the apples; otherwise, the filling texture won’t be as smooth, and the skin may remain tough after baking. 2. Can I use ground cardamom? You can, but the flavor is more intense and different from crushed seeds from the pod. Use a maximum of one teaspoon if you don’t have pods. 3. Can I make the cake with whole wheat flour? You can replace a maximum of one-third of the flour with whole wheat flour, but the sheets will be denser and less flaky. 4. Can I freeze the cake? The cake can be frozen in portions, but the texture of the sheets may become slightly drier after thawing. 5. What kind of tray should I use? A classic rectangular tray (about 20x30 cm or slightly larger) is suitable. It’s important to line it with baking paper so you can easily remove the cake. Nutritional values Approximately, for a medium slice (1/10 of the tray): Calories: 220-240 kcal Carbohydrates: 38-40 g Protein: 3-4 g Fats: 6-7 g Values vary depending on how well you drain the apples and how much oil/butter you use. The cake has enough carbohydrates from the apples and flour, and the fats mainly come from oil, butter, and eggs. Storage and reheating The cake keeps well at room temperature, covered, for 2-3 days. If it’s warmer in the kitchen, you can keep it in the refrigerator, but take it out some time before eating so the sheets soften a bit. I do not recommend reheating in the oven or microwave, as the sheets will harden. It’s best consumed at room temperature, even on the second or third day.
Preparation
The Dough: In a bowl, I whisked the eggs well, then added the sugar and continued to whisk until the sugar dissolved. I then added the oil, milk, and baking soda mixed with a little lemon juice, essence, lemon zest, and finally, I gently added the flour while constantly mixing. As the dough thickened, after adding all the flour, I switched from mixing to kneading :) I needed a little more flour because the dough was a bit sticky. I set the dough aside to rest and prepared the filling in the meantime. The Filling: I washed and peeled the apples, then grated them on a large grater. In a pot, I added the butter, cardamom seeds from the pods, and the grated apples, which I had squeezed very well before putting them in the pot. I then cooked the filling until the apples softened. On the work surface, I sprinkled flour, cut the dough into 2 equal parts, rolled out a sheet from the first piece, placed it in a baking tray lined with parchment paper, sprinkled a little semolina on the sheet, and pricked it here and there with a fork. I then added the apples and finally the second sheet, brushed the top with egg yolk, and baked the pie in the oven at low heat for about 40-45 minutes. After taking the pie out of the oven, I sprinkled powdered sugar on top. Enjoy your meal!
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