Saturday, November 15, 2008

Apple Upside-Down Cake

One of the greatest gifts Frenchwomen possess is the ability to cook simply and nutritiously, yet maintain a richness of flavor unsurpassed. Take a peek at La Tartine Gourmande's blog and you'll see what I mean. Her recipes always call for a variety of fresh, classic ingredients that when combined astound the senses. I have yet to be disappointed. I discovered this recipe for Apple Upside Down Cake a few weeks ago, and I've made it three times already. It is that good.

I was intrigued by the use of olive oil and plain yogurt in a cake. It increased the density of the cake and gave it a nuttier flavor. I would definitely like to experiment further with these ingredients in other baked goods.

I substituted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the vanilla bean and used a cup of regular flour instead the other flours suggested. I also added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the cake batter. I always find a way to incorporate an extra bit of my beloved cinnamon!

And it paired perfectly with that scoop of vanilla ice cream....

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Yeah, you and that cinnamon... ;p

Sylvia said...

Wow, definitely trying this! By the way, thanks for the Butternut Risotto recipe--I made it last night and despite doubling the recipe and ending up with leftover broth, it came out pretty well, I thought. The texture might not have been perfect (I realized too late that since I was doubling the recipe, I should also have doubled the amount of broth I put in each time), but the flavors were ideal.

I also tried your Pear-Apple Cobbler, sans the pears and with a drizzle of honey instead of sugar, and I loved it! So easy and nice.

Colin Mason said...

Too bad I'm allergic to peanut butter. Woe is me!