Bohemian Apple Cake with Semolina, Nuts, and Vanilla
vegan
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© Courtesy of Arnold Pöschl, Neun Zehn Verlag Bohemian Apple Cake from “Vegan Österreich” (Vegan Austria) by K. Unterweger and A. Pöschl, p. 169
Ingredients (for servings, )
| For the cake batter | |
| 6 | Apples, raw, with skin (32 oz) |
| 1 | Lemon, raw (organic?) (4.2 oz) |
| 1 tsp | Ground cinnamon (0.09 oz) |
| ¼ tsp | Ground cloves (0.02 oz) |
| 1 | Vanilla bean pod (0.10 oz) |
| 3 ½ oz | Almonds |
| 5 ½ oz | Whole grain spelt flour |
| ½ Pck. | Baking powder (0.28 oz) |
| 5 ½ oz | Brown sugar |
| 5 ½ oz | Unenriched farina (soft wheat semolina) |
| 3 ¼ oz | Vegan margarine |
| For the cake pan | |
| ⅓ oz | Vegan margarine |
| For sprinkling on top | |
| 2 tsp | Powdered sugar (0.18 oz) |
Equipment
- grater
- vegetable peeler
- baking pan (springform pan)
- citrus juicer (lemon squeezer)
- oven
- sieve
Type of preparation
- bake
- chop or grind
- squeeze
- peel
- grate (shred)
- sift
Preparation
For the cake batter
Peel and coarsely grate the apples. Grate the lemon peel and squeeze the lemon juice. Combine with the grated apple and spices.The original recipe calls for 1 kg of apples for an entire cake (to serve 8). This corresponds to about 6 medium-size apples. We recommend tart apple varieties such as Boskoop or Topaz.
Finely chop the almonds. Sift the flour with the baking powder. Combine with the sugar, almonds, and semolina so that a type of crumble forms.
For the sugar and flour, we use brown sugar and whole grain spelt flour. Instead of specifying almonds, the original recipe calls for nuts of your choice.
Preparing to bake
Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease the baking pan well with oil or margarine.The amount listed is enough for a cake pan with a diameter of 24 cm.
Assembling and baking the apple cake
Spoon one-third of the “crumble” into the pan and cover with half of the apple filling. Melt the margarine. Drizzle about one-third of the melted margarine on top. Then spoon the next one-third of the “crumble” on top and cover with the remaining half of the apple filling. Again drizzle one-third of the margarine on top. Spoon the rest of the “crumble” on the cake and drizzle the remaining margarine on top. Bake on the second rack from the bottom for one hour.Serving
When the cake is done, remove from the oven and immediately cut into pieces. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and serve.This cake tastes delicious served either warm or cold.
This Bohemian apple cake with semolina, nuts, and vanilla tastes fruity and light. It is a delicious dessert that is quick and easy to prepare.
Yield: This recipe makes one apple cake with a diameter of 24 cm.
Spelt flour: Spelt flour is closely related to wheat and is often referred to as “proto-wheat.” White spelt flour (type 630) is mainly used to make rolls, baguettes, and baked goods, and in most recipes it can be used as a substitute for wheat flour. This is because it has properties similar to wheat flour that make it suitable for baking, unlike types 812 and 1050, which have a higher mineral content. There are certain differences between spelt and wheat when it comes to amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, but it is questionable whether these small differences have any significant effect. However, as compared to wheat, spelt does contain much higher levels of silica.
Semolina: Semolina is obtained from grains, usually durum wheat or soft wheat (also called farina), in a rather complex process. The milling process allows semolina to be ground to a specific size, either fine, medium, or coarse. Farina is mainly used for desserts and breakfast cereals, whereas durum wheat semolina is primarily used for hearty dishes such as semolina dumplings (Griessnocken).
Vanilla bean pods: Vanilla bean pods, also called vanilla bean, are the fruit of orchids of the genus Vanilla, which grows as a vine. The types sold in stores include Bourbon vanilla, Mexican vanilla, and Tahitian vanilla. High-quality vanilla bean pods are dusted with fine white crystals and are soft and flexible. Vanilla bean pods are blanched at a high temperature before the fermentation process (fermenting them adds aroma) and are therefore not truly raw. Blanching the bean pods stops the ripening process, which is important because further ripening would interfere with the production process.
Margarine and its spreadability: Organic margarines may not contain chemical additives and donʼt undergo the process of chemical hydrogenation. However, they are still soft and spreadable. They are manufactured using special emulsion processes that include the use of water or steam or the addition of semi-solid fats (e.g., palm oil or coconut oil).
Tip from the author on the best varieties of apples to use: The apple varieties Boskoop or Topaz work especially well for this recipe.
Optimal cake pan size: A cake pan with a diameter of about 24 cm is best.
Reducing the oil: For a low-fat variation, use only half of the specified oil and combine it directly with the “crumble” and half of the grated apples. When assembling the cake, spoon half of the “crumble” into the pan, cover with the remaining grated apple. and then spoon the second half of the “crumble” on top.
More information on reducing oil can be found in the book “Salt Sugar Fat” by Michael Moss, which we describe here in detail.
Canola oil instead of margarine: Canola oil contains a significantly higher amount of essential fatty acids than, for example, olive oil. If you don’t have any high-quality margarine available, you can use canola oil for this recipe (amount in milliliters should be the same as the grams listed for margarine).
