Apple Cake with Toffee Crust

                    
                                   Apple Cake with Toffee Crust
                                    (from Food and Wine 2008 Annual Cookbook)

  Cake:

  3 cups all-purpose flour

  1 tsp. salt

  1 tsp. baking soda

  1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

  2 cups granulated sugar

  3 large eggs

  2 large Granny Smith apples-peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch dice

  1 stick unsalted butter

  1/4 cup heavy cream

  1 cup light brown sugar

  1 tsp. vanilla extract

Toffee Sauce:

 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

 1/2 cup water

 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. heavy cream

 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

 1 Tbsp. brandy (optional)

Caramelized Apples:

 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

 3 large Granny Smith apples-peeled, core and cut into 8 wedges each

 1/8 tsp. cinnamon

 2 Tbsp. water

vanilla ice cream for serving

1. Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour 9-inch springform pan. In a bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and baking soda.

 In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the granulated sugar.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time.

Whisk in the dry ingredients until smooth.

Fold in the apples.

Scrape dough into prepared pan, and bake in the lower third of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 stick unsalted butter, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and 1 cup light brown sugar to a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

3. Place the warm cake (still in its pan) on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the hot glaze over the cake; let it seep in, poking lightly with a toothpick. Let cool for 2 hours. Invert the cake onto a plate, and invert the cake onto another plate right side up.

4. Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce:In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. 

Cook without stirring to a medium amber caramel, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cream and butter. Simmer the sauce over moderate heat for 2 minutes, then remove fom the heat and stir in the brandy(optional).Pour the sauce into a pitcher.

5. Make the caramelized apples:

In a large skillet, melt the butter and brown sugar. Add the apples and cinnamon, and cook over moderately high heat, turning the apples onc or twice, until tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the water to dissolve the caramel in the skillet, then transfer the apples to a plate. 

6. Slice the cake and serve with the apples, toffee sauce and ice cream. Serves 10-12 people. This cake is moist, with a delicate toffee flavor enhanced by the caramelized apples.
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