It’s been a long week. A good week. But a long week.
The high points have included finally clearing my marking in-tray (hurrah!) and winning a pub quiz (joy!). The low points have included the actual process of clearing my in-tray and a couple of crazed pupil outbursts in class: the first of which involved a boy getting in such a temper he actually tore his school shirt off a la The Incredible Hulk. I’ll spare you the details of the second incident as it featured language which probably isn’t suitable for these pages!
What is suitable for these pages is telling you that tomorrow our school is taking part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support. The Geology classroom will once again be filled with homemade cakes, teas and coffees. For this reason D and I have taken a break from marking and planning and have instead been battling each other for baking space in my teeny weeny kitchen.
He’s made his ever popular Coffee Kisses and Mars Bar Munch-Cake, and I’ve knocked up some more of Holler’s Mum’s Fruit Loaf, a batch of apple muffins and a Finnish apple cake. The latter is probably my favourite cake in the world. It’s appley and moist and ever so slightly tangy.
Amazingly good with a generous drizzle of vanilla scented cream. 🙂
Omenakakku – Finnish Apple Cake
(The measurements are in cups because it was easier to convert decilitres to this measurement than to the normal UK grams)
100g butter (soft)
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 & 2/3 cups plain flour
2 tspn baking powder
2/3 cup sour cream
2 dessert apples (not too tart, preferably)
- Whisk the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and mix until a smooth batter is formed.
- Combine the flour and sour cream into the batter. Don’t over mix!
- Peel, core and slice the apples.
- Pour the batter into a cake tin and submerge the apple slices.
- Sprinkle with a little sugar and bake in a 170oC oven for 45 mins – 1 hour.
Update: A request has been made to see D’s cakes so here they are!! Coffee Kisses and Mars Bar Munch-Cake. 🙂
A Wee Bit of Cooking 
oh this cake looks marvelous ! I can smell those fall apples now. Are they the ones from your trees???
I think you should put a photo of D’s cake on your blog also. Let’s give him a few comments:)
Deb – Your wish is my command. Photos of D’s cakes will be with you shortly. 🙂
D, I must say, Wendy has some major competition going on here. I would like to see the results of the sale at school tomorrow. Who’s goodies sold the fastest! My bet is on D.
Reason – chocolate! Mars Bars Crunch look awesome D !
Have fun tomorrow! It is for a great cause!
Yum! You should tell us the story of what happened the second time. 🙂
That chocolate crunch looks incredible. It wouldn’t last the night at our house!
Thanks for stopping by as now I have a new blog to visit myself!
All the best,
Lindsay
They ALL look great! 🙂
Wendy, I have come across Polish apple pie and pancake recipes a lot lately. Perhaps it is the sign for me to make this delicious cake!
Everything looks delicious and kudos to you both for baking for such a good cause.
Delicious and a very light texture! I made the Finnish Apple Cake for dessert this evening. So easy and a wonderful result especially when hubby says “I much prefer this to your apple shortcake!” So Mum’s handed down recipe takes second place. We had vanilla ice cream with the apple cake, but vanilla cream would have certainly “hit the spot”… Thanks so much for this recipe Wendy.
I love apple cake – so thanks for converting to cups 🙂
Good luck at the Coffee Morning!
Oh I would love some of that apple cake with my coffee right now. I seriously need to start baking, but I am afraid.
Those coffee kisses look good as well D!
Superb recipes and superb photos. Apple cake, sensational. Lots of cakes on Blogs at the moment, I wonder if the cold snap is causing a sweet tooth in us all, baking whilst it is cold is one of our fave pastimes? Either way, yum yum.
Cheers
David
Deb – You were right! By the time I got to the cafe stand all the munchcakes were gone!
endithinks – Welcome. The shortened version is that a kid was sent out of the room for throwing something at another class member. When later asked to explain his behaviour he responded, “It was that fXXXing fat bXXXXXD, not me!” Right… 🙂
Lindsay – Welcome and thank you!
Maryann – Thank you!
Anh – I recommend you do!
Valli – 🙂 It was no hardship though!
Helen – Couldn’t be more delighted that you tried it and loved it. You’ve made my night. 🙂
Katiez – As much as I love weighing I have to say cups are easier for most ingredients.
Mainyacha – I had disasterous results at first but I’m starting to enjoy baking now.
David – Thank you. I noticed the abundance of cakes on blogs at the moment too. Funny enough, I don’t even have a big sweet tooth but here I am baking again. Perhaps it is the weather…
Oh, that cake looks utterly divine–so thick and moist, just the way I like it! Now, as for that second incident–you say there was inappropriate language? Such as? 😉 Hope next week is better!
Wendy, I know what you mean about long weeks, mine seemed long, but after reading about yours, my seemed ok then!!!
d’s cake look fab, ohh I am hungry now, it must be lunch time surely !!!
Mmm, apple cake. I hope you used *cough cough* some nearby garden apples *cough* to help make it a local affair.
Such a simple and wonderful apple cake! D’s creations look pretty fantastic too…
Hi Wendy ( & D!),
Everything looks great! Both of you should take more breaks from marking 🙂 We had such an event earlier this year and had a cake auction. You & D’s goodies look better than some of the cakes we had at our auction. You can have a look here:
http://lifesmorgasbord.blogspot.com/2007/05/
australias-biggest-morning-tea-charity_26.html
I couldn’t leave a comment earlier because my internet was having a bit of trouble – I made this wonderful apple cake this morning – I didn’t have sour cream but had plain Greek natural set yogurt and used that as a substitution and it still turned out utterly moist and delicious. I’m serving it for afternoon tea later. I can see myself making this again and again – thanks for sharing this terrific recipe!
p/s: i was trying to imagine a boy acting like Incredible Hulk. i am having a chuckle now, but I know that it was very funny when it happened.
Wendy they all look really Scrummy!!!!!!!! Hope this week goes a bit better for you.
It all looks fantastic. I was just writing my October harvest calendar and was longing for apple cake. How wonderful to discover yours all tangy with sour cream!
And of course I’m a huge glutton for anything involving Mars bars too ; )
I’m definitely going to make your Finnish apple cake!
Susan – EndIthinks asked the same question. See the reply to her question for more details! 🙂
Megan – Think the worst thing about reading food blogs is constant hunger!
Annemarie – You know me too well…
Rosa – Thank you from us both!
Nora – Absolutely delighted you like the recipe! 🙂 Will check out your post on the baking auction later today. It sounds great fun!
Pat – Thank you! 🙂
Amanda – Have to admit I pinched a couple of pieces of the Mars Bar cake myself! Look forward to reading about your Autumn harvest.
Cynthia – Let me know how it goes! 🙂
I can’t wait to make this. I knew something this week would be apple-y since I brought home some lovelies from the farmers’ market this weekend. Thanks giving me an idea of what to do with them.
I’m sorry about the classroom incident. Have you talked with the counselors about the young man? That kind of extreme behavior definitely signals that he needs some help. I hope your classroom has already returned to the bustling hub of learning I know it naturally is.
Christina – Enjoy the cake!
As for the incident, several agencies and counsellors are involved with this boy and his VERY dysfunctional family. His behaviour can be so extreme he has a member of the support department assigned to him and him alone in every class. He’s a poor poor soul.
Due to a pleading hubby, I made the Finnish Apple Cake again last night! Must get out for a long walk after work today….
I’m so curious: what inspires you to make a Finnish cake? Omenakakku was one of the first things I learned to make when I lived in Finland — but haven’t made it in years and years but hmm, let’s see, perhaps tonight!
Helen – 🙂 So very glad you both like it so much!!!
Alanna – I too lived in Finland for a few years. This was often my coffee break treat! 🙂
my closest friend is Finnish, I will have to surprise her with this Apple cake.
Shayne – Enjoy! 🙂
That looks wonderful.
My cousin’s wife is Finnish – I shall make one next time I go and see them.
What size cake tin do I need?
H
Hippolyra – Welcome! The cake tin was just the standard size – think that’s 28cm… I think. 🙂
The cakes look great! I’ll have some Mars Bar Munch Cake, please, it reminds me of baking with my mum, when I was little! She will be pleased that you are putting her recipe for fruit loaf to good use!
Holler – The munch cake is amazingly good, I must say! Thanks again to your mum. 🙂
OMG you are killing me with those pictures*drooools*
hey hey hey, if anyone knows any more finnish recipes could u email them to me? its judo_bug*sigh ive been putting off dieting for far too long….*:)
Littlesabakugirl – Glad you like them! I post Finnish recipes from time to time. Check out the joulutorttu and glogi recipes for Christmas. 🙂
H€i all – this looks great and i have some apples calling out to me sitting on my bench.
its just that i have looked in my cupboard and i do not currently have any baking powder.
is it possible to omit the plainflour and baking powder for SR flour???
this may be a silly question?
i really want to make this but its a rainy sunday in australia and i dont really fancy going out and getting wet to find a local shop open on a sunday 😦 but i do want cake!!
thanks
J
Jarnz – I don’t see why not. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi Wendy,
I’ve just started reading your blog and I can’t wait to try some of your recipes. I had a go at Omenakkkakkkkkkku tonight but had to fiddle with the recipe a bit. My question is, how thick is the sour cream you use? Here in New Zealand the sour cream we get is so thick you can turn it upside-down without it moving, but I wondered if yours was different because when I mixed everything together the batter was very dry, like a ball of dough, and definitely not pour-able. I chucked in some milk and another egg white and it ended up like a sort of steamed-pudding consistency which was still delicious hot with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top.
Jane – Hello and welcome! The sour cream in the UK and in Finland is reasonably runny. A little thicker than single cream, a little thinner than double cream. I reckon buttermilk would work too. The consistancy should be moist but not so moist that it’s unpleasant cold. Does that help at all?? 🙂
Hello Wendy,
I made the Omenakakku – Finnish Apple Cake as a dairy free version as my son is lactose intolerant. Used soya cream ( a bit more than in the recipe but that’s normal with soya) with a dash of lemon juice instead of the sour cream and a good quality veg margarine. Looked just like the one in the photo and taste and texture were really nice. Thanks for the recipe.
Beverly – You’re very welcome. Wonderful that a dairy free version worked. 🙂
I would love to make this recipe. However, I need to know what size of a pan to use, in US measurements if possible.
Thanks
Hi Wendy, I’ve been reading your blog for a few months now and love it! I’m a very new fellow Scottish food blogger and stumbled upon this recipe for Finnish Apple Cake today. I made it with my wee girl, who ate it all up, even the apples! Have given your blog a mention on my blog’s facebook page today.
I just made this….. but the batter certainly wasn’t pouring consistency…much much much thicker. But I have put it in the oven so we’ll see what comes out
Oddly enough, I made this tonight and the batter was thicker than usual. Put it down to the sour cream being denser than what I’ve used in the past and the egg smaller… It came out ok but not as nice as it was in the past. Might use 2/3 cream 1/3 milk if the cream is that thick again and also make sure the egg is a decent size.
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