Author Topic: Armenian Apple Cake  (Read 8455 times)

Jubal

  • Megadux
    Executive Officer
  • Posts: 35494
  • Karma: 140
  • Awards Awarded for oustanding services to Exilian!
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Armenian Apple Cake
« on: November 01, 2015, 09:06:10 PM »
So, my house has a couple of apple trees in the back garden, from which I got a nice little crop (mainly of russets) soon after I got here.


These apples having been around for a while (the above picture is a month or so old), they're starting to get past their best so I figured I should process the rest of them before they're all horrible. Hence, apple cake - for which I found an interesting looking recipe which is apparently Armenian.

Ta-da! It's even edible and everything.





I enclose the original recipe with a few notes and a link to the original for if anyone's interested:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

Glaurung

  • Sakellarios
    Financial Officer
  • Posts: 7077
  • Karma: 20
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2015, 09:58:00 PM »
Thanks for the recipe - the result looks delicious enough that I am tempted to try it myself (optimistic, given my complete lack of experience in baking cakes).

The only thing I would note is that the recipe uses American quantities and units (e.g. 'cups', and Fahrenheit assumed for the oven temperature). It would be good to have conversions for UK/metric, and I'll see if I can do that. Do you know what weight of apples you used? Also, what type of sugar, and how much / what size of cup?

Jubal

  • Megadux
    Executive Officer
  • Posts: 35494
  • Karma: 140
  • Awards Awarded for oustanding services to Exilian!
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2015, 11:31:32 PM »
I used a cup as being a 2/3 to 3/4 full mug, of a regular tea-mug sort. I've no idea what the weight of apples was - I think "keep going until the sugar is fairly evenly distributed as a coating that actually sticks to the apple chunks" is probably about right.
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

Pentagathus

  • King of the Wibulnibs
  • Posts: 2704
  • Karma: 20
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #3 on: November 02, 2015, 01:29:33 AM »
Damn those apples look tasty. Also cake.

Jubal

  • Megadux
    Executive Officer
  • Posts: 35494
  • Karma: 140
  • Awards Awarded for oustanding services to Exilian!
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2016, 06:10:04 PM »
Making one of these with raisins in instead of walnuts today :)
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

Pentagathus

  • King of the Wibulnibs
  • Posts: 2704
  • Karma: 20
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2016, 06:41:55 PM »
Eww

comrade_general

  • Guest
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2016, 07:20:54 PM »
An improvement imho.

Pentagathus

  • King of the Wibulnibs
  • Posts: 2704
  • Karma: 20
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2016, 07:54:42 PM »
No.

comrade_general

  • Guest
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2016, 08:51:57 PM »
Oh yes.

Pentagathus

  • King of the Wibulnibs
  • Posts: 2704
  • Karma: 20
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #9 on: July 09, 2016, 09:12:30 PM »
Alright then.

Jubal

  • Megadux
    Executive Officer
  • Posts: 35494
  • Karma: 140
  • Awards Awarded for oustanding services to Exilian!
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2016, 11:35:08 AM »
Was going to have walnuts, I should add, but also made a honey & walnut thing. Which has stuck to the plate it's kept on and is hellishly difficult to get off.
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

Glaurung

  • Sakellarios
    Financial Officer
  • Posts: 7077
  • Karma: 20
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2016, 01:28:30 PM »
That description gave me an immediate mental image of a glutinous thing on the plate, speaking in a small, unpleasant voice somewhere between a croak and a hiss, "My plate, my home. Not leaving!"

On a more practical note, try warming the plate, maybe with hot water - that should reduce the viscosity of the honey mixture.

This might also explain why baklava has come to exist: even if the honey doesn't want to let go, the pastry provides a natural fracture zone.

Jubal

  • Megadux
    Executive Officer
  • Posts: 35494
  • Karma: 140
  • Awards Awarded for oustanding services to Exilian!
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #12 on: July 14, 2016, 12:00:28 AM »
I think it's also just that the honey wasn't reduced enough - it should be harder such that it chips/sets hard rather than being slightly gloopy still and sticking so much. I'll take a picture of the walnut thing tomorrow - I've still not eaten it, but should really get round to doing so.
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

comrade_general

  • Guest
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #13 on: July 14, 2016, 12:08:08 AM »
That's.... what she said?

Jubal

  • Megadux
    Executive Officer
  • Posts: 35494
  • Karma: 140
  • Awards Awarded for oustanding services to Exilian!
    • View Profile
    • Awards
Re: Armenian Apple Cake
« Reply #14 on: July 14, 2016, 12:11:53 AM »
I mean, if she was trying the same recipe then that's entirely plausible I guess.
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...