Grandma’s Apple Cake with Boiled Cider Crème Anglaise

Averill Farm’s boiled cider takes center stage as the primary sweetener in this decidedly New England adaptation of a traditional Belgian cake, Gateau de Grand-Mère.

By / Photography By | September 01, 2016

Ingredients

Cake
  • 4 apples, cored and sliced very thin
  • 18 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 5 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup apple moonshine
  • 2 tablespoons Averill Farm boiled cider
  • ¼ cup sparkling sugar (garnish)
Crème Anglaise
  • 4 egg yolks
  • ¼ cup Averill Farm boiled cider
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation

Cake

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and sugar an 8” round cake pan.

Core, then thinly slice apples.

In a large bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup of sugar, butter, and salt together until pale yellow in color. Add the egg yolks, one by one. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Next, slowly add the moonshine and boiled cider to the butter mixture. Mix until well combined.

Gently fold egg whites into the butter mixture until batter is thoroughly combined. Divide batter into fourths.

Spread a layer of batter in the cake pan, then alternate with a layer of apples. Repeat until you have 4 layers of batter, and arrange the last layer of apples attractively as the top of the cake. Sprinkle generously with sparkling sugar.

Bake for approximately one hour, until cake tester comes out clean. The cake will have a slight dome effect when fully baked. Set on a rack to cool, then unmold cake by inverting onto a clean plate, loosening sides with a thin knife, if necessary.

Crème Anglaise

Combine the egg yolks, boiled cider, and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk over low to medium heat until blended. Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Stir until custard thickens – but do not boil – about 6 minutes. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Strain into a small bowl. Chill. Drizzle crème anglaise over cake slices before serving.

Related Stories & Recipes

Boiled Cider History Preserved at Averill Farm

Tyson Averill stands at the crest of a hill, surrounded by a sweeping orchard, in the shade of his 185-year old stone house in Washington, Connecticut. His newborn son, Nate, sleeps inside; his father...

Ingredients

Cake
  • 4 apples, cored and sliced very thin
  • 18 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 5 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup apple moonshine
  • 2 tablespoons Averill Farm boiled cider
  • ¼ cup sparkling sugar (garnish)
Crème Anglaise
  • 4 egg yolks
  • ¼ cup Averill Farm boiled cider
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
We will never share your email address with anyone else. See our privacy policy.