Whole Wheat Apple & Walnut Cake

My posts have been lagging lately - I'm not losing interest, I swear, but December is hectic.  What with the holidays, Christmas, plane trips, family obligations and that ever-looming apocalypse, I have to plan ahead to find time and bake.  And let's face it, I'm not good at planning ahead.

I should also probably add that I've temporarily switched hemispheres, once again trading Sydney's summer weather and blue skies for a cooler climate (this weather switch happens much more than I care for).  I'm in my home town, Hong Kong, for three months during my uni holidays.  The ironic thing is, my Christmas will still be spent under a hot sun as I will be going to Thailand, as tradition calls.

The good news is, there will be some Christmas recipes coming very soon!  I would never neglect baking something to celebrate one of my favorite holidays.  However, since I haven't got a Christmas baked good to share with you yet, here's a cake that evokes all the feelings of winter holidays, warm fireplaces and cozy blankets.  

I was hesitant about posting this because the cake didn't come out as perfect as I would have liked.  I was too lazy to get out the electric mixer because it was buried under a stack of I-Haven't-Seen-This-In-Months-I'll-Organize-It-Later, so I mixed by hand and didn't stir for the required length of time.  The oil hadn't quite emulsified into the cake batter when I scraped it into the pan and the crumb came out denser than expected.  I used small eggs instead of large.  I forgot to reduce the sugar in the cake and accidentally sprinkled on a couple more teaspoons of sugar on the top than necessary (I have problems opening unopened bags of food, okay?  Let's move past it), so to me the cake was a bit on the sweet side.  I forgot to peel and cut the apples until I'd combined the batter, and so left it sitting there for 10 minutes while I chopped up apples and walnuts, which probably didn't have too great an effect on the cake either.  

But I'm posting this anyway because I know this cake is great.  If you follow the instructions, as I neglected to do, it will turn out beautifully.  Regardless of it all, the cake tastes homey, warm and hearty, because of the whole wheat flour and spices, and the apples and walnuts provide good texture.  It's perhaps not the prettiest of cakes - it won't win any prizes at a cake competition anytime soon - this is an everyday dessert with the typical rustic charm that comes with this sort of baked good.  More often than not, it's just what is needed in this busy season.

Oh!  And let me introduce you to my cat, who takes up permanent residency here in HK.  He's the baby of the house and will be showing up a lot more in future posts.  Like most cats, he can't quite ever leave anything alone.  

Whole Wheat Apple & Walnut Cake {Teddie's Cake}

Adapted from Sweet Amandine

Note: I would advise dialing down the sugar to 3/4 cup, because this really is quite a sweet cake.  But that's completely up to you and your personal taste.

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp table salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup oil (I used canola) 

1 cup loosely packed dark brown sugar (see Note)

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups peeled and sliced apples (about 2 apples)

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 tbsp demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.  Grease and line a 9-inch round cake tin.

Wash, peel, core and cut your apples, then set aside in a bowl.  You want thick slices, otherwise they'll disappear into the cake.  While you're at it, roughly chop the walnuts.

In a small bowl, whisk together flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a handheld electric mixer or with a wooden spoon and some patience, combine the brown sugar and oil, mixing until the mixture is cohesive (about five minutes).  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until the mixture looks creamy.

Add the dry ingredients and stir by hand until just combined.  Fold in apples and walnuts.  Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula.  Sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.  Let cool before turning out and slicing. (As usual, I didn't wait for it to cool, which is why my cake slice looks wonky and uneven).