Apple streusel cake

STEPS

1. Preheat oven to 175ºC, and grease a 9 inch (23cm) springform cake pan.

2. Melt and brown the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat, until foaming and sizzling subside, smells nutty, and there are brown bits at the bottom of the pan when you swirl and tilt the pot. Make sure to swirl the pot occasionally and keep a close eye on it to prevent burning. Immediately transfer to a bowl to cool. You can re-use this pot to melt the butter for the streusel later (or now, so it has time to cool).

3. Peel, core and cut apples into 1 inch chunks. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

4. In a medium bowl, add eggs and whisk at medium speed until foamy. Add sugar and vanilla and whisk again until smooth and pale in colour. Add half the flour mixture, whisk until just incorporated. Add half the cooled brown butter and mix until combined. Repeat with remaining half of flour mixture and brown butter. The batter will be thick. Using a spatula, fold in apple pieces until well coated. Transfer into cake pan, and use the spatula to flatten and spread batter out to the edges.

Streusel topping

1. Mix flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl, and drizzle melted butter all over. Do not stir the mixture to combine, rather, use a fork or fingers to toss the ingredients together, making sure not to over-stir or break mixture up into tiny pieces — you want to maintain lots of big clumps. Use your hands to squeeze and clump pieces together, then sprinkle the streusel generously all over the cake.

Bake

1. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before running a blunt knife or spatula around the edge to loosen, and remove the spring form cake pan ring. If desired, dust top with powdered sugar just before serving. Serve slightly warm.