Rosemary is an herb that has long served as an important symbol of remembrance, stretching all the way back to antiquity, and this rosemary remembrance cake is an excellent way to honor that tradition. I first stumbled upon this recipe while thumbing through a copy of Nigella Lawson's Feast many years ago, but it was not until recently that I finally gave it a try...and oh boy, what a keeper! Subtly infused with the sweet-tart flavor of apple and gently laced with the unmistakable scent of rosemary, this cake is a natural choice for any autumnal sweet tooth. Tremendously rich, buttery, and soft, it's also one of those rare recipes that simultaneously delivers both superior results and remarkable ease of preparation.
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Ingredients for Apple rosemary remembrance cake
- apple
- lemon
- fresh rosemary
- salted butter
- baker's sugar
- eggs
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for apple rosemary remembrance cake
Peel, core, and roughly chop the apple into small piece.
Place into a saucepan along with the butter, lemon zest and juice, the small sprig of rosemary, and the teaspoon of sugar.
Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the apple is very soft. (The time required will depend on the variety of apple you're using.) Set aside and allow to cool, discarding the rosemary sprig and any stray leaves.
Heat the oven to 325℉ and generously grease the loaf pan with butter.
Place the cooled apple into a food processor and process until smooth.
Then add the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder. Process until everything is combined into a smooth batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar across the surface.
Then lay the large sprig of rosemary down the center.
Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool thoroughly on a rack before removing cake from the pan.
Hint: When discarding the small rosemary sprig that you added to the saucepan while cooking the apple, be sure to remove any stray rosemary leaves that may have separated from the sprig as well.
Equipment
Using a food processor to mix up the batter for this cake makes it incredibly easy to prepare, but you can certainly stir everything together in a bowl with your favorite spoon if you prefer. And when it comes to baking the cake, you will need a basic loaf pan (9 x 5 inch).
Storage
When wrapped snugly in plastic wrap, apple rosemary remembrance cake will keep well for 3 to 4 days at room temperature.
Top tip
It may sound counterintuitive, but choose whatever apple variety you most enjoy eating raw for this cake. (I always go for Honeycrisp here.) Since the apple is cooked down and then blitzed thoroughly into a pulp before being added to the batter for this cake, you don't really need to worry about conventional wisdom regarding the baking properties of your chosen fruit.
Related
Looking for more easy cake recipes? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Apple Rosemary Remembrance Cake
Equipment
- food processor
- 9 x 5 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 medium apple (about 6 to 8 ounces) choose a good variety for eating such as honeycrisp, fuji, or pink lady
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- juice and zest of half a lemon
- 1 small sprig and 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon baker's sugar
For the Cake Batter
- 1 cup salted butter, softened (plus extra for greasing the pan)
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon baker's sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Peel, core, and roughly chop the apple into small piece. Place into a saucepan along with the butter, lemon zest and juice, the small sprig of rosemary, and the teaspoon of sugar. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the apple is very soft. (The time required will depend on the variety of apple you're using.) Set aside and allow the apple to cool, discarding the small rosemary sprig and any stray leaves.
- Heat the oven to 325℉ and generously grease the loaf pan with butter.
- Place the cooled apple into a food processor and process until smooth. Then add the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder. Process until everything is combined into a smooth batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar across the surface, and then lay the large sprig of rosemary down the center.
- Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool thoroughly on a rack before removing from the pan.
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