Serbian Apple Cake Recipe

 

This Serbian Apple Cake recipe comes courtesy of my friend Darja and it uses apples and walnuts that are now in season. It is also good later in the season to use up apples you’ve had in the fridge for a while. Unfortunately I don’t have walnut trees in my garden but my apple trees are starting to produce a crop now.

3 cups of grated apple (normally about 6 small apples or 4 large apples)
1 ½  cups sugar (can reduce this amount)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup of vegetable oil

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl and leave to sit for at least an hour. Can leave up to 4 hours in the fridge.

200gm semolina
2 cups of flour
1 cup of roughly chopped walnuts

Add the above to the apple mixture mixing lightly with a wooden spoon until combined. Pour batter into a buttered baking dish of your choice – a lasagne sized square dish is good.

Bake at 180 for 30-40 minutes until springy and golden brown.

Take it out of the oven and leave it in the pan while you glaze the top with a layer of jam of your choice (I used Blackberry Jam). Sprinkle with ground walnuts. Leave to cool completely before removing from the pan or use a pan you can slice directly in.

The semolina makes it quite a heavy cake but it is very moist and delicious served warm with yoghurt.