Kyrgyzstan apple cake

A rustic Central Asian apple cake

Origin: Kyrgyzstan / Central Asia

From the journey of Apple.

The apple has a deeper connection to Central Asia than almost anywhere else on earth: the wild apple ancestor Malus sieversii still grows in the Tian Shan mountains spanning Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and the city of Almaty takes its name from the apple (alma in Kazakh and Kyrgyz). This simple home cake reflects that relationship directly: apples are not a flavouring but the structural backbone of the batter. The recipe is part of a post-Soviet baking tradition in the region that shares much with Russian home baking but uses the abundantly local apple as its primary ingredient: flour and eggs are merely the binder.

Ingredients

Main

  • 4 piece medium baking apples (Granny Smith or tart variety), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Batter

  • 200 g granulated sugar (1 cup)
  • 4 piece large eggs, beaten
  • 125 g all-purpose flour (1 cup), sifted

Finishing

  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a 20 cm (8-inch) round cake pan with parchment paper.
  2. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Place them in a large bowl.
  3. Add the sugar to the apples and stir to coat. The sugar will draw out the apple juices: this moisture is what binds the batter.
  4. Add the beaten eggs and sifted flour to the apple-sugar mixture. Stir until the apples are thoroughly coated and the mixture is combined.
  5. Pour and press the mixture into the prepared pan, pushing the apples into an even layer.
  6. Bake for 30–35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden.
  7. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Notes

Best served warm, the day it is made. A dollop of clotted cream or kaymak (Central Asian clotted cream) is traditional alongside. The cake is intentionally dense and moist: more apple than cake.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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