Perlette was my husband, Victor’s grandmother; a formidable and passionate woman who lived an extraordinary life, including time spent with the French Resistance during WW2. She spoke French and little English and I speak English and little French so the only topic that we were easily able to communicate on was baking.

I understood just enough baking–related French words to follow her descriptions and I now cherish those few recipes she described to me. Before she stopped baking in her later years I tasted this cake made by her, known by Victor as Nanny’s Gateau Aux Pommes. I had to take my memory of eating it and the few words of French description offered to come up with a recipe; it’s defining feature being an extraordinary quantity of apple in proportion to cake. I hope my boys, who often speak of their Grande Nanny, can keep their connection with her a little closer through eating, and one day baking, this cake.

Method: 

• Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Line a 25cm (10 in) round cake tin  with baking parchment.
• Core, peel and roughly chop two thirds of the apples. Cook in a medium pan, with the sugar and cinnamon, until soft but holding their shape, roughly 15–20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Core and thinly slice the remaining apples and place in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Place the butter in a small pan and gently melt over a very low heat. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the solids, which can be discarded. Set the strained butter aside to cool.
• Place the vanilla sugar and eggs in a medium bowl or a free standing mixer. With a handheld electric mixer or with the mixer whisk attachment, whisk until pale and thick and the mixture holds thin ribbons on the surface when the whisk is lifted.
• Sift the flour and salt together and add half to the mixture. Fold in gently with a spatula until no flour is visible. Repeat with the remaining flour and salt and then fold in 150g (5 oz) cooled, melted butter.
• Spoon just over half the cake mixture into the prepared tin and spoon over the cooled, cooked apple in an even layer. Arrange half the raw apple slices, in a single layer, on top of the cooked apple and top with the remaining cake mixture. Arrange the remaining apple slices in a circular pattern on top and sprinkle over the cinnamon and caster sugar.
• Bake for 70–90 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin. The cake is delicious both warm or cool. It should be stored in the fridge if it isn't eaten with 24 hours.

Recipe extracted from Modern Sourdough (White Lion)

Instagram: margotbakery

First published in the JC September 27 2019