apple cake

Finally realising that I haven't done very much this semester break thus far. Not quite sure what I've been doing exactly but I've been exercising a lot (*pats self on back*) and eating a lot of veggies and all that healthy stuff (*double pats self on back*) so I guess I'm allowed to bake something every now and then, right?

Anyway I was feeling really uninspired with baking or anything cooking so I decided to try experimenting with some stuff I had at home. Turned out I'm just not cut out for it (yet, at least). I have bad flavor combinations (and taste buds).

I bought a bottle of chalkboard paint! Decided to do some DIY stuff here and there. Didn't turn out very nice so maybe I'll make another when I can find the proper materials (I did paint some tins to use as my stationery holder though).

Tested out with my kinda-failed-but-still-usable chalkboard for my backdrop this time round. I WILL BE BETTER AT FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY!!! I PROMISE!!!! (Also time to save up for a new one...but I need a phone too...)

Anyway like I said, I've been very uninspired lately so I went through all my recipe bookmarks I had. Found the apple cake recipe lurking in the sea of chocolate cakes bookmarks, realised I had a few apples on hand...apple cake it is?

I don't actually know where I got this recipe from :/ So whoever posted this, thank you very muchos and please don't sue me.

The cake is pretty moist and dense, and it took FOREVER to bake (or I'm just really impatient). Apple and cinnamon is a combination that never ever fails. #notetoself
I forgot to let the butter come to room temperature (usually my butter softens pretty quickly, not very sure why it took so long this time) before I beat it with the sugar so maybe that's why the cake isn't very fluffy or anything.

Does Amazon ship to Singapore? I don't dare to purchase anything in fear of the ridiculous shipping prices. If it isn't ridiculous I'd be purchasing so many useless items that I don't actually need (but let's just pretend that its necessary) so....hopefully the shipping prices is ridiculous. Can you already see that I always contradict my own words?

Before I go on babbling....

Recipe:

188g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
175g sugar
85g unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 large egg
118ml milk
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 apples (peeled and sliced)

Cinnamon sugar:
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 175ºc
2. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar together until it's pale and fluffy. Add egg, milk, vanilla and incorporate it well.
4. Add dry mixture gradually and mix until the batter is smooth.
5. Pour batter into a lined cake tin (I used 8") and arrange the apple slices on the top. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar all over the top.
6. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 150ºc and bake for another 45-55 minutes. Let cool in the tin on a wire rack.

Notes:
- I used salted butter, so I only used a tiny pinch of salt.
- The recipe called for 2-3 apples but I actually only used 1? I guess it depends on the size of your apples and the thickness of the slices
- Feel free to keep the apple skins on
- I already had cinnamon sugar on hand (in which I used brown sugar) so I'm not very sure how much I used. My baking rule is always 'agaration'

Trying to decide what I'm going to bake myself for a birthday cake (if you can do it yourself, why pay $40 for it). I might bake a orange/lemon curd tart (you know I love my citruses) instead of a cake? I can't choose!!!

Also watch out for my St. Patrick's Day cake. It will be good. Oh...it will be good. *wink*