Apple and Vanilla Cake with Caramelised Apples and Mascarpone Frosting
Autumn and winter bring a bounty of apples, pears and quinces, and with them cravings for warm, spiced desserts. This elegant apple cake layers a moist apple‑spice sponge with a filling of caramelised apples and a smooth vanilla mascarpone cream. It’s fragrant, comforting and perfect for cosy celebrations.
Apple and Vanilla Cake with Caramelised Apples and Mascarpone Frosting
A moist apple and vanilla sponge cake filled with caramelised apples and frosted with a smooth mascarpone cream. This elegant cake brings together autumnal flavors and creamy richness.
Servings :10
Ingredients
Apple Sponge
- 130 g granulated sugar
- 145 g light brown sugar
- 200 g whole eggs
- 180 g neutral-flavored vegetable oil
- 270 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g cornstarch
- 6 g baking powder
- 4 g baking soda
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground ginger
- 1 g ground cardamom
- 2 g salt
- 360 g grated apples (coarsely grated, un-drained)
- 10 g lemon juice
Caramelised Apples & Mascarpone Cream
- 500 g peeled diced apples
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 15 g butter
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
- pinch of salt
- 250 g mascarpone cheese
- 250 g cream cheese
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 350 g heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g white chocolate (melted)
- 50 g unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease two 8-inch round pans and line with parchment paper.
- Make the apple sponge: Whisk eggs, granulated sugar and light brown sugar until pale, then slowly stream in oil. Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and spices in a separate bowl and fold into the egg mixture. Stir in grated apples and lemon juice. Divide the batter into the pans and bake 25–30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- Caramelise the apples: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and a pinch of salt. Cook until the apples soften and turn golden. Let cool completely.
- Prepare the mascarpone cream: Beat mascarpone, cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. In another bowl whip heavy cream with vanilla extract to soft peaks and fold into the mascarpone mixture. Stir in melted white chocolate and melted butter. Refrigerate.
- Assemble the cake: Level the cakes if needed. Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread over the caramelised apples and half of the mascarpone cream. Top with the second cake layer and frost the top and sides with the remaining mascarpone cream.
- Chill the cake for at least 1 hour before slicing. Decorate with extra caramelised apples and enjoy.
Ingredients
Apple Sponge
- 145 g light brown sugar
- 130 g granulated sugar
- 200 g whole eggs
- 180 g neutral-flavored vegetable oil
- 270 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g cornstarch
- 6 g baking powder
- 4 g baking soda
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground ginger
- 1 g ground cardamom
- 2 g salt
- 360 g grated apples (coarsely grated, un-drained)
- 10 g lemon juice
Caramelised Apples
- 600 g peeled, diced apples
- 45 g granulated sugar
- 30 g light brown sugar
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 5 g ground cinnamon
- 5 g ground ginger
- Pinch of salt
Vanilla Mascarpone Cream
- 250 g mascarpone cheese
- 250 g cream cheese
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 350 g whipping cream, whipped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 g white chocolate, melted
- 75 g unsalted butter, softened
Method
- Make the apple sponge: Preheat the oven to 175°C. Beat eggs and sugars until pale, then add oil. Fold in sifted flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Stir in grated apples and lemon juice. Divide batter between two 20 cm pans and bake until golden. Cool completely.
- Caramelise the apples: Cook the diced apples with granulated and brown sugar in a pan until the mixture turns golden and the apples soften. Stir in butter and spices, then set aside to cool.
- Prepare the mascarpone cream: Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. In a separate bowl, beat mascarpone and cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream and vanilla extract. Finally mix in melted white chocolate and softened butter.
- Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Pipe a ring of mascarpone cream around the edge and fill the centre with the caramelised apples. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the entire cake with the remaining mascarpone cream. Chill for a few hours before slicing.
This apple and vanilla cake combines a moist spiced sponge with caramelised apples and a creamy vanilla mascarpone frosting. It’s fragrant, comforting and perfect for cosy celebrations.
