Invisible Apple Cake

📝 Ingredients

• 6 apples (about 180 g each)
• 3 eggs
• 60 g caster sugar + 1 pinch of salt
• 90 g plain flour
• 200 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar (for the top)

🍴 Utensils

• Loaf tin (about 25 cm) + baking paper
• Mandoline or very sharp knife
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Peeler

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (conventional, not fan). Line the tin with baking paper, leaving it overhanging on the long sides: these ‘handles’ will let you lift the cake out without breaking it.
2. Melt the butter (30 s in the microwave) and leave to cool slightly. In the mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and salt for 2 min until frothy, then add the vanilla and melted butter.
3. Add the flour in two batches, whisking, then pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly: the batter should be smooth and runny, like a slightly thick pancake batter.
4. Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the core and seeds with a teaspoon or the tip of a knife, to get neat apple halves.
5. Slice the apple halves very thinly (2 mm) on the mandoline, always using the guard to protect your fingers, or with a very sharp knife. Drop the slices into the batter as you go and stir: the batter stops them turning brown.
6. When all the slices are well coated, pour everything into the tin. Press down with the spatula so the slices lie flat and tightly packed, smooth the top and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
7. Bake for 50 min, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the centre comes out without any wet batter. If the top colours too quickly, cover it with foil after 30 min.
8. Leave to cool completely in the tin, for at least 1 hour (ideally overnight in the fridge): the cake firms up and slices cleanly. Lift out using the paper and cut into 8 slices with a very sharp knife.