Roasted Apples
• 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
Cake
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraîche
• 1/4 cup Irish cider, such as Magner's
Toffee Sauce
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
Directions:
To make the roasted apples: Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Butter a large casserole
dish. Cut the apple quarters into 2 to 3 wedges each and place in the prepared
dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and sugar, and dot with the butter. Bake,
turning frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the apples are tender when
pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven, drain the juices, and
set the apples aside to cool. Maintain the oven temperature.
To make the cake: Butter a 9- or 10-inch springform pan and sprinkle the bottom
with the almonds.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer
until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat until
the mixture is smooth. With a wooden spoon, fold in the dry ingredients, vanilla,
sour cream or crème fraîche, and the cider.
Starting in the center, decoratively arrange half of the apples in the bottom
of the prepared pan. Roughly chop the remaining apples and stir into the cake
batter. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 70 to 80 minutes, or until
a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven
and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Release the sides of the pan, invert
the cake onto a plate, and remove the base.
To make the toffee sauce: In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to
a boil. Stir in the lemon juice. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture
begins to turn a light caramel color. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk
in the cream. To serve, cut the cake into slices and drizzle with the toffee
sauce. Serves 8 to 10