His & Hers Kitchen: March 2010

Yesterday, while drinking my morning coffee and reading the news, I saw this fantastic Head Line: "This is how you make the Best apple cake"! Of course I had to check out the article and of course i had to try it - I mean Come On! Claiming to know how to make The BEST apple cake - that can't be left untested and since we were invited to The Kings Castle what better than to make and test it on the residents of the castle and their guests? ;o)

The cake they were talking about is the very famous Tart Tatin. The cake was "invented" by Stephanie Tatin who was 'swimming' in her 1898 Hotel kitchen, trying to finish a dinner for her guest of the night. Everything went wrong that night, and in an attempt to save the dessert she put caramelized apples on the bottom and the dough on top in her cake pan. When the cake was done she turned it up side down on a cake plate and Voila - we have this wonderful yummy apple cake.

This is what you need:

For the top, I mean the bottom:

125 g butter

100 g sugar

1 egg

150 g flour

The Goodies:

3 large apples

2 pears

150 g butter

2,5 dl sugar

This is what you do:

1) Mix the butter and sugar to a soft cream. Whip the egg lightly and mix it in with the butter/sugar mix. Fold inn the flour by hand ~ I found it easiest to use a spatula to do this job. The dough is almost impossible to work with if it's not cold and it "melts" really quickly. So shape the batter into a ball and freeze until use.

2) Wash the apples and pears well and cut in four - remove the core. Cut each piece in two or more boat shaped pieces.

3) Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the sugar. Let the sugar/butter melt until it gets a golden color. Add the apple and pear 'boats'. Turn the heat down to 'simmer' and let the fruit go soft and turn caramel-golden. Turn them once in a while. Let them

caramelize for 10 -15 minutes.

4) Butter your cake pan and make a pattern in the bottom of the apple and pear boats. Pour the leftover caramel sauce over the fruit - I added so much that it covered it - next time I will add it all!!!

5) Roll out your cold dough, on a floured surface, into a round sheet - as thick as you think fitted your cake pan. Cut out a circle of the dough the size of your pan. Lay the dough on top of your apples. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven on 410F / 210C for 8 - 12 min. (I had to let it bake for 20 min. in the owen I used - so Check it!) When it looks golden and done it should be ready.

Cool a little ~ turn the Cake onto a cake plate. You do this by laying the cake plate on top of the cake pan - hold it all together tightly and turn up side down... Serve :) Tarte Tatin is GOOD alone, but almost divine with Vanilla ice cream OR whiped cream.

I can't tell you if this is the BEST apple cake in the world, but I can tell you that it was an easy cake to make, a fun cake to serve and that my test panel, The Kings and their guests, LOVED it!

Tart Tatin!