Chocolate Apple & Pecan Cake

Chocolate Apple& Pecan Cake

Vegetarian 

Serves 8

Some people go for apple pie, others will always choose anything chocolate. Why not delight all tastebuds at once? 

Although not often paired, apple and chocolate are a marriage made in heaven. Very easy to prepare, this cake tastes so luxurious, decadent and light, it may well become one of your favourites, as it is one of ours. Each mouthful is a little adventure, a fluffy soft sponge, surprising you with ample melted pockets of chocolate, laced with sweet and tangy shreds of apple and scattered with those crunchy pecans throughout. Sensational!

You must try it!

Ingredients

300g plain flour

4tbsp cacao powder

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1tsp ground cinnamon

1/2tsp salt

225g butter of choice, softened

300g coconut sugar

3 large organic grass-fed free-range eggs

125ml unsweetened milk of choice

1/2tsp almond extract

350g peeled cored & shredded apples (we used 5 Gala apples)

200g chocolate, roughly chopped (we used half milk & half dark)

150g raw pecans, roughly chopped

Icing sugar to dust (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C electric or 160C fan assisted.

Lightly grease a 23cm bunt tin with butter or oil and dust with flour.

In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: the flour, cacao powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, using a freestanding or handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until very fluffy and light in colour. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing in between*. Drop in the almond extract. Add half the dry ingredients, briefly mix, then add half the milk and mix again. Repeat with the remaining. Fold in the shredded apples, chocolate and pecans. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour.**Allow the cake to cool completely before you remove from the tin. Lightly dust with icing sugar if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Using a bunt tin for cakes containing fruit and thus more moisture is optimal, as heat is more efficiently distributed, allowing the cake to bake evenly. If you don’t have a bunt cake however, you can use a 1lt (2lb) loaf tin.

*When adding eggs into a cake, always break them first into a separate cup or bowl to prevent any shells dropping into your mixture.

**Always check the cake with a skewer to insure it is thoroughly cooked, as all ovens vary slightly.