Ask ten people in the valley for their apple cake recipe and you will get eleven recipes, at least three arguments and, if you are lucky, a slice.
The sugar is not a detail. The caramel note helps the top crackle, and cutting it by more than a quarter changes the texture noticeably.
Spread the batter in the tin, pushing it to the edges with a spatula, and scatter the remaining apples over the top, pressing them in lightly. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of granulated sugar for a crackly top.
Why it lasts
The story behind the Brindle apple cake stretches back to the years after the war, when apple growers needed a way to use bruised fruit. Every family tweaked it, so no two versions are quite alike.
The most common mistake in our tests was underbaking. The top browns quickly and the cake looks done well before the centre has set, so trust the skewer, not the colour. If the top is getting too dark after 40 minutes, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it.
Rufus Abernethy-Cole, whose grandmother’s card started this project, argues that the batter must rest for ten minutes. “Nobody believes me until they try it,” Abernethy-Cole said.
- Keeps 3 to 4 days at room temperature
- Can be baked a day ahead
- Active time: 25 minutes
- Makes one 23 cm (9-inch) cake, 10 to 12 slices
- Works with gluten-free flour blends
- Freezes well for up to a month
The people behind it
Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter a 23 cm (9-inch) springform tin and line the bottom with a circle of baking paper. If you only have a regular cake tin, line the sides as well, because this cake is fragile until it cools.
For a dairy-free version, replace the butter with 102 grams of oil; expect a cake that is a little less rich. Spelt flour can be used with an extra egg.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. In a larger bowl, beat the melted butter with the brown sugar until it looks like wet sand, then beat in the eggs one at a time until the mixture is glossy and slightly thickened.
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tart apples | 4 medium | peeled, cut into 1 cm pieces |
| Plain flour | 250 g (2 cups) | spooned and levelled |
| Brown sugar | 180 g | packed |
| Butter | 115 g | melted and cooled |
| Eggs | 2 large | room temperature |
| Baking powder | 2 tsp | |
| Cinnamon | 1½ tsp | or cardamom |
| Salt | ½ tsp |
Tips from regulars
Bake for about 61 minutes, until the edges pull away from the tin. Leave it for at least an hour; it is better the next day.
Over three weeks we made 11 versions collected from church cookbooks and family cards. The differences were bigger than expected: one called for a full cup of cider, another was more custard than crumb.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet in two additions, stopping as soon as no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be very thick, almost like cookie dough. That is correct. Fold in about three-quarters of the apples; the batter will barely seem to hold them.
The key is the fruit itself. Use firm, tart apples that hold their shape; very juicy fruit turn to sauce in the oven.
Nobody in this neighbourhood is asking for special treatment. We are asking to be asked.
Rufus Abernethy-Cole
What it costs
Offer it cold from the fridge the next morning. Leftovers keep for 3 days wrapped in a cloth, and it can be frozen for a month.
Every version we tested had its defenders, and several of our tasters still prefer their own family’s cake, which is exactly as it should be. This version is the one we kept making when nobody was asking us to.
Reporting for this story drew on several weeks of reporting, including people on every side of the debate.
It is worth stepping back, and the stakes come into focus: decisions made in the next few months could define how the valley looks for a generation.
A little history
Reporters asked the Dispatch test kitchen to provide additional detail. A spokesperson shared a statement saying that more information would be released in the coming weeks.
By the numbers: 7 public meetings, $45.5 million in estimated costs, and a vote that might be challenged.
We will keep reporting on the cake as it develops. If you have experience with this may send tips securely by email.
This article included interviews with more than 19 people, among them people on every side of the debate.
Jonah Abernathy can be reached at jonah.abernathy@brindlemoor-dispatch.example. Have a tip? Use our secure tip line.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
The part about the west side is the real story. Nobody on council lives over there and it shows.
My kids went to Larkspur. It breaks my heart to read this but I am not surprised.
Went last Friday on the strength of this review. The sardines were exactly as described. Dessert was also exactly as described, unfortunately.
Thank you for actually putting the numbers in a table. Most coverage just says "millions" and leaves it at that.
Went last Friday on the strength of this review. The sardines were exactly as described. Dessert was also exactly as described, unfortunately.
Thanks for reading. We are planning a follow-up and would welcome tips at the address above.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
As a nurse at St. Aldric I can confirm the override part. The software is a tool, not a replacement for judgment.
Thank you for actually putting the numbers in a table. Most coverage just says "millions" and leaves it at that.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
Can we please stop calling everything a "smart" something? It is a streetlight with a sensor.
The heat pump rebate website crashed on me three times. Glad to know it was not just me.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
This is why local journalism matters. Subscribed again after letting it lapse.
Can we please stop calling everything a "smart" something? It is a streetlight with a sensor.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
The heat pump rebate website crashed on me three times. Glad to know it was not just me.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
The part about the west side is the real story. Nobody on council lives over there and it shows.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Thanks for reading. We are planning a follow-up and would welcome tips at the address above.
This is why local journalism matters. Subscribed again after letting it lapse.
As a nurse at St. Aldric I can confirm the override part. The software is a tool, not a replacement for judgment.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
I would love a follow-up on what happens to the workers at the old plant.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.