This is a delicious, light and very moist cake, made so by the fact that the egg whites are incorporated in the cake mix in the form of a meringue and the use of olive oil which does not set when cold as is the case with butter and therefore eats well even the next day and the day after that.
Ingredients (serves 8-10)
For the cake batter
- 300g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- A pinch of salt
- 250g caster sugar
- 80g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 60ml mild extra virgin olive oil
- 60ml rapeseed oil
- 100g Greek yogurt
- 60ml full fat milk
- 6 egg yolks, large
- 3 egg whites, large
- 2tsp vanilla extract
For the filling & topping
- 4-5 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 200g fresh blackberries
- 150g caster sugar
- ½ lemon, juice and zest
- 250g Greek yogurt
- 250g double cream
- 25g icing sugar
- A handful of fresh blackberries
Method
Start by making the candied blackberries.
In a saucepan put the raspberries and sugar and bring to medium heat to melt the sugar. Increase the neat and cook to almost jam state. You want the fruit to be nice and gooey. Leave to the side to cool.
Next, cook the apples with just 100ml of water covered with a lid till cooked but holding their shape. Put through a colander to strain any excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl, mix in the cinnamon and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 1800C.
Line the bottom of two 22cm diameter springform cake tins. Line the bottom with baking parchment and grease both the bottom and the sides with some butter.
To make the cake, sieve the flour, salt, 200g of the sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir to blend everything.
In a small bowl mix the yogurt, milk and bicarbonate of soda and whisk.
In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, melted and cooled butter, oil and vanilla extract.
Finally, in a clean bowl using an electric whisk, beat the egg whites to soft peak stage and then adding the sugar gradually whisk to a firm meringue.
To incorporate everything, make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the liquids and yogurt. Mix well with a spatula. Add 1/3 of the meringue and mix in well to loosen the cake mix. Add the rest of the meringue but fold in gently not to lose the air.
Empty the cake mix equally in the tins and bake for 35-40 minutes till a skewer dipped in the middle comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins, empty out and peel off the baking parchment.
Using an electric whisk, beat the double cream with the sugar to soft peaks. Add the yogurt and whisk a little more to incorporate fully.
Place one cool cake onto a cake stand. Top with the cooked apples, candied blackberries and some of the yogurt-cream mix. Lay the second cake on top. Spread the remaining cream and top with some fresh blackberries.