Pink Lady Apple and Coconut Cake

The Pink Lady apple schnapps from Wild Brumby Schnapps distillery was so delicious, that I simply had to cook up this lovely cake to put it in and eat it with!

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
2 teaspoons lemon rind
¾ cup (175g) butter, softened
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½ cup (80g) shredded coconut
2 tablespoons (40ml) coconut cream
180g Crème fraiche
Icing sugar, for dusting, if desired

Apple Filling
2 tablespoons (40g) butter
2 large (400g) pink lady apples, cored and thinly sliced
3-4  tablespoons brown sugar, to taste
1/3 cup (80ml) pink lady schnapps or other liqueur

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (fan-oven 160°C). Line the base and grease and flour the sides of two 19cm cake tins.
2. Place the sugar and lemon rind in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs and vanilla bean paste and process for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Add the coconut and coconut cream and pulse until just combined.
3. Divide the mixture between the tins. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until golden and tops spring back when pressed. Leave cakes in the tins for five minutes to cool slightly and then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile make the apple filling.  Melt the butter in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Add the apples, sprinkle over brown sugar and cook, turning frequently, until golden and caramelised. Stir through the schnapps, flambé by tilting pan or lighting with a match if desired.  Cook  until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
5. To serve, flip one of the sponge layers upside down so the flat side is facing up. Spread over apple filling. Top with crème fraiche and then sandwich with the second sponge layer. Dust with icing sugar if desired.

Lyndey’s Note: Leaving the skin on the apples helps them hold their shape and adds a lovely texture to the filling.

This recipe comes from the TV series (and now cookbook), Lyndey Milan’s Taste of Australia. Buy your copy of the accompanying cookbook to the TV series online by clicking here!