Eggless streusel bottomed (really, bottomed; not topped) Apple Cake with brown butter glaze

We are subtracting using figures. Eight kites minus 3 kites. Hasini strikes out 4 instead of 3 kites, realizes the mistake, then looks around for the eraser for the 28^th time. I have not been able to explain this phenomenon of the missing eraser. I vaguely remember having the same problem too while writing my record.

At the school gate last week, Hasini agitatedly asks for her lunch bag which she is jiggling around while asking for it.

I’ve been known to search for my glasses while wearing them.

Hasini once went to school without her books.

I went for my college practical exam without my lab coat.

Hasini likes to narrate stories about her dad, her mom and the chickens at home to her class teacher, art teacher, paatu teacher, and the aunty friends she makes at the beauty parlour while I am getting a pedicure.

I tell you stories about Hasini, Yuvi, their homework, the tamil cinema I saw last week (I haven’t? I will soon) and my big bottom instead of the eggless streusel bottomed apple cake with brown butter glaze.

It runs in the family.

Not surprising that the apple cake turned out streusel bottomed instead of streusel topped.

Bundt cakes are inverted; which I realized the minute after I filled the pan with the batter and lovingly topped with the streusel mixture. So streusel bottomed apple cake it was. But I am not complaining. This is the best cake I’ve baked in recent times. This apple cake is one of those classic cakes that are stellar on their own – no filling, frosting necessary to up their taste. I am crazy about the crumb these days. This cake has a beautiful crumb, not too fine but fine enough, moist and perfect. It slices like a dream and tastes fantastic. The brown butter glaze is super easy to make. Just whisk everything together in a pan and heat.  If you’re making the streusel which you should, remember to first layer the streusel and then fill in the cake batter. This cake batter is really thick, almost like cookie dough, so the streusel wouldn’t seep into the batter. Or you could bake the streusel separately on a sheet pan and then sprinkle over the glazed cake.

The warm, nutty sweet of the glaze, the mellow, sweet of the apple cake and the crunchy, buttery sweet of the streusel all come together in a beautiful symphony of sweetness. Not at all sugary! Perfection! Ilayaraja song! Balachander movie! Bhagyaraj screenplay!

Oh and did I tell you I made this for my maamiyaar’s (mother-in-law) birthday?

Did she like it?

Scenario 1: Of course she did, she had a second slice, praised me for the stunning cake I had made, and told everyone about it. Oh, I am so lucky to have such a great maamiyaar! Closing scene:  Marumagal (daughter-in-law) hugging the mother-in-law (creepy!).

Scenario 2: She finished her slice, said it was good that it was eggless and didn’t smell like eggs (recent vegetarian convert that she is and vegetarian converts are more righteous than lifelong vegetarians and maamiyaars are the most righteous). Closing scene: Marumagal clearing up plates.

Those who cannot make out the real scenario haven’t been married or they live in a Karan Johar movie.

But the cake was spectacular!!

Prep time: 30 mins
Baking time: 60 mins
Serves: 20 slices

Ingredients – Eggless Apple cake

Apples – 2 peeled, cored and diced
Apple sauce – 1 cup (2 apples peeled, cored, steamed and pureed)
Vegetable oil – 1-1/4 cups
Yogurt – ½ cup
Flour – 3 cups
Brown sugar – 1-1/4 cups
Granulated white sugar – ½ cup
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Ground Cinnamon powder – 3 tsp
Nutmeg – ½ tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Vanilla extract – 1 tbsp
Raisins – ¼ cup steamed for 5 minutes until moist

Ingredients – Streusel

Brown sugar – ½ cup
Flour – 4tbsp
Cinnamon – 1 tsp
Cold butter – 3 tbsp

Brown sugar glaze

Brown sugar – 1 cup
Butter – ¼ cup
Cream – ½ cup
Icing sugar sifted – ½ cup

Method

1.       Preheat oven. Grease the bundt pan andset aside.

2.       Whisk dry ingredients together.

3.       Beat oil, yogurt, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla and apple sauce together until well mixed.

4.       Pour wet into dry ingredients and beat just until the dry is incorporated.

5.       Fold in apples and raisins. Turn the batter into the pan. Bake for 1 hour or till a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool for 30 minutes. Loosen the edges with a thin bladed knife, invert and tap the pan to release the cake from the pan. Cool completely.

6.       To create the streusel, combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and cut the cold butter into it until the mixture is crumbly. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or till the streusel is dry and crisp. You could bake the streusel along with the cake by layering it at the bottom of the bundt pan and then topping with the cake batter.

7.       To prepare the glaze, combine all the ingredients in a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves and the glaze is slightly thickened.

8.       Pour the glaze over the cake, sprinkle some streusel if you’ve baked it separately. Slice and serve. Enjoy!