Serves 12
Prep time 30 minutes plus cooling time for apples.
Cooking time 1 hour.
I’ve had a few AHA cooking moments in my life and lifting the Takumi Wok to reveal this apple short cake dome was one of them. Trust me. We eat with our eyes and this cake is a feast for every sense because there’s really nothing better than tart apples encased in crunchy, buttery sweet pastry and served warm with dollops of vanilla cream. Except tart apples encased in crunchy, buttery sweet pastry, cooked in a wok then turned upside down and served warm with dollops of vanilla cream
And this might just be the best ever Mother’s Day present you’ll ever get to gift. Mum gets to eat the cake and keep the wok too. Everyone wins because you will be her favourite for ever more.
INGREDIENTS
SHORTCAKE CRUST
225g butter
225g white sugar
2 whole eggs
2 t vanilla essence
580g white flour
2 t baking powder
THE FILLING
10 large granny smith apples peeled and roughly chopped.
¼ c water
METHOD
THE FILLING
Stew the apples and water in a saucepan until soft. Add a little more water if the mix is sticking to the bottom of the pot. I like to remove the apples from the heat when half have gone mushy and the remaining half are still holding their form. Set aside until completely cool.
THE SHORTCAKE PASTRY
Lightly cream the butter and sugar together then whisk in the egg and vanilla essence and lightly combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix until it forms into a soft ball. Divide the pastry into two with one piece slightly larger than the other. Pop the smaller half in the fridge to chill a little.
Heat oven to 160C
Thoroughly grease your Takumi Wok with butter and push the larger pastry half evenly into the wok using your hands. It should come within 2 inches of the rim of the wok.
Fill with the cool stewed apples, making sure you leave a rim of pastry above the fruit.
Flour your hands or the bench top and with the remaining pastry, roll or press between your hands to create the lid. I like the patchwork quilt system where I squish chunks of the pastry between my hands. The top of the pastry doesn’t need to be perfect as you will flip the whole cake upside down when it’s cooked to reveal the beautiful dome.
To finish squash the outer edges of the pastry together with a fork then prick the top of the pastry.
Bake for 1 hour. You’ll bake the cake at a lower temperature for longer to ensure the pastry cooks well top and bottom.
Remove the Wok from the oven and using a palette knife loosely run it around the top edge of the pastry whilst it’s still hot. (the pastry will continue to cook in the hot wok)
Leave to cool in the Wok for 30 minutes.
Place your Wok Lid lightly on top of the pastry then pick up the wok with both hands, making sure you are holding the lid in place with the fourth and fifth fingers of each hand. Swiftly turn the wok upside down and remove it.
TA DA!!! Is that not the most golden dome shaped thing of beauty you’ve ever created!?
Dust with icing sugar and gently slice into pieces with a serrated edged knife.
Serve with lashings of whipped cream and icecream and love.
Happy Mother’s Day Mum.
