pink apple cake

Usually, this is a cake that I make in a 20-22 cm diameter pan, but when I get up unorthodox I get to innovate and today has been one of those days. That is why I have taken my individual Emile Henry crème brûlée molds , which I love so much, and I have decided to prepare the pink apple cake individually. The presentation wins a lot and the oven time is reduced to less than half, two good advantages to take into account.

The texture of this pink apple cake is slightly reminiscent of sponge cake, but creamier. It is what it has to carry applesauce, cream cheese and a considerable amount of laminated apple among its ingredients. Lovers of apple pie or any other dessert made with this fruit are going to adore it. Take good note of all the details and get to work!

Ingredients (for 5 units)

• 75 g butter at room temperature
• 150g of sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon essence (or vanilla)
• a pinch of salt
• 25 g apple compote
• 25g cream cheese
• 3 eggs
• 50 g of wheat flour
• 50 g of fine cornmeal (cornstarch)
• 10 g chemical yeast
• 3 Pink Lady apples or similar
• Icing sugar for dusting

Elaboration

1. We melted a teaspoon of butter and, with the help of a brush , we smeared the base and sides of five ovenproof molds (I used Emile Henry's ceramic ones).
2. In a deep bowl, mix the rest of the butter with the sugar, the lemon essence and a pinch of salt. We beat at high power for five minutes, using electric rods or a kitchen robot .
3. Add the apple compote, the cream cheese and beat again, this time more gently, until smooth.
4. Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well until incorporated into the batter before adding the next.
5. Finally we sift the wheat flour together with the fine cornmeal (cornstarch) and the chemical yeast and add it to the mixture. We beat again, gently, until integrated.
6. We distribute the dough in the five molds.
7. Core the apples and cut them in half, from top to bottom. Cut into thin slices with the help of a mandolin .
8. Place in the dough, starting from the outside, overlapping some sheets with others. For the outer layer we use the largest apple slices and reserve the small ones for the interior.
9. Bake in the oven, preheated to 180ºC, with heat above and below, for approximately 18-20 minutes. Remove, let rest for a couple of minutes before dusting with icing sugar and serving.