Apple, Rosemary & Olive Oil Cake

Before I get into this post, I want to thank all those who left comments/emailed asking about my daughter. She has completely recovered, by God's grace, and is back to driving mommy nuts. :) I'm a happy, nutty mommy. I was also sick for a while after that. That's why there hasn't been a recipe in over a week. And I feel bad about not being able to visit all your lovely blogs, but I intend to do some serious catching up in the coming week.

Moving on... I haven't mentioned this before, but I LOVE Masterchef Australia. I love how much I learn from it. I love George, Gary and Matt. I love the contestants. I love the celebrity chefs. I LOVE the ideas and inspiration that the food on the show gives me. Earlier this week, I was watching an episode with a challenge by celebrity chef Maggie Beer. She is an amazing person and chef. And the contestants had to plate up three desserts using her recipes - a nectarine frangipane flan, a bruleed lemon tart, and an apple, rosemary & olive oil cake. It was a great episode to watch, but even after the show was over, and I was in bed, that cake kept coming back to me. Apple, rosemary and olive oil! Sounds divine.

So, the very next day, I made this.

I found the recipe on the Masterchef website, and made only some minor substitutions. The main ingredient I had to substitute was verjuice. After doing quite a bit of research on it, I substituted it with a mixture of apple juice and apple cider vinegar. I have no idea how the cake tastes with real verjuice, but this tasted really good. Another was that I used Granny Smith apples. You can find the original recipe here.

There are four separate components, but it is doesn't take too long to put together. And the results are worth it.

Apple, Rosemary & Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients
Poached Apples
4 large granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
250ml apple juice
50ml apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Olive oil Cake
3 eggs, separated
125g castor sugar
75g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
60ml extra-virgin olive oil
60ml poaching liquid

Sabayon
2 egg yolks
1 tsp castor sugar
30 ml poaching liquid 

Glaze
1/4 cup castor sugar
Remaining poaching liquid

Method
1. Grease, and line the bottom of a 9 inch spring-form cake tin with greaseproof paper. 
2. In a deep frying pan, combine the apples, apple juice, vinegar and chopped rosemary. Bring to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until apple is tender.
3. Strain, and reserve the poaching liquid.
4. Into the same frying pan, add the olive oil, and heat. Saute the apples until they are golden brown.
5. Arrange the apples in an even layer on the grease-proof paper in the cake tin, and set aside.
6. Preheat the oven to 180.
7. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff. Add half the sugar and continue until the sugar has dissolved.
8. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar.
9. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Pour in the olive oil and 60ml of the reserved poaching liquid. Stir to combine.
10. Fold in the egg whites, 1/3rd at a time.
11. Spoon the batter over the apples in the cake tin, and bake for about 35-40 minutes, until the cake is springy to the touch and evenly baked.
12. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
13. Remove the collar of the springform tin,  and invert the cake onto a cooling rack.
14. To make the sabayon, combine the egg yolks, 30 ml of the poaching liquid, and the castor sugar in a heat proof bowl. Place over a saucepan of water. Cook the sabayon over this water bath, whisking continuously as it thickens. If you feel the mixture is getting too hot, remove from the heat, and continue whisking vigorously. Return to the heat, and cook until the sabayon is thick, creamy and frothy. Set aside to cool.
15. To make the glaze, combine the remaining poaching liquid and the sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer until the glaze has reduced by half. If you feel you don't have enough liquid or that the glaze is too thick, just add more apple juice. Spoon over the apples on the cake.
16. Slice the cake, and serve warm with the sabayon.

What I love about this cake:
1. The generous, thick, juicy, perfectly tender chunks of apple.
2. The subtle but incredible flavor of rosemary.
3. The wonderful aroma of extra-virgin olive oil.
4. The beautifully light cake, with a tender crumb.
5. The fact that the only fat in this recipe is 60 ml + 1 tbsp olive oil. No butter. No butter.

This is a recipe I have no doubt I will make again, and again and again. All of us loved this cake. My husband said it was great, but that he would have liked less cake and more apple. I thought it was just perfect. Maggie Beer did not disappoint with this one.