While I was reasonably happy with the first attempt, wanted to give it another go with a couple of tweaks;- A bit more cinnamon
- A different apple
Due to some allergies at work, I also challenged myself to do a gluten-free version. I'm not normally keen on gluten-free flour, and once had a nightmare attempting pastry (it had the same consistency as a brick, and was impossible to shape), however as this recipe rubbed the flour in without really activating the gluten, I thought this would be a reasonable recipe to use it in. I use Doves Farm gluten-free flour, which I tend to find is a little thirstier, but otherwise produces OK results. The gluten-free version of this was indeed a little drier, however unless you tried both you wouldn't know, as the apple content means that both cakes have a moist, dense texture.
For the apple I used a Braeburn, something I first used when I was mucking around with apple tarts last year...it carries a decent acidity, and keeps a good texture when baked. I was really happy with how it came out in this recipe, and I'd definitely recommend it.Cinnamon volumes is always a tricky one, some people are quite sensitive to it, others can't get enough. I think about 15 people had a bit of these cakes, and opinion was roughly mixed...half said it was OK, half said they would want more, and one notable exception didn't realise there was cinnamon in it. You can't win!
Finally, I tried to do an alternate pattern (nominally to identify the gluten and non-gluten versions), however the rise of the cake meant that the herringbone pattern I attempted went somewhat to pot.I won't go through the entire recipe again, but rather note changes. I did 2 separate batches, prepared in parallel, ending up with 4 1lb loaves (a good oven-full!).
- For the gluten-free version, it was 1½ tsp of baking powder, and sieved gluten-free flour upto 200g. I then mix it with a whisk to spread the baking powder evenly.
- I added 1½ tsp of cinnamon to each batch.
- I used 3 braeburn apples in each batch, with 2½ apples chopped up in each cake, and another ½ sliced on top (it's normally 8-9 slices, so you may have some left over)
