First, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). You need a baking dish or similar oven dish. Take about 10 centiliters of walnut oil and spread it generously on the pan with a brush. This is not just lubrication. It has a subtle nutty flavor that pairs surprisingly well with fruit.
Now some fruit. Take a handful of dried apples. They should be plump but chewy. If it’s very hard, you may need to soak them in warm water or rum for a while, but for this recipe it’s usually fine to just throw it in if they aren’t rock-dry.
Whisk 4 eggs in a large bowl. Add 270 grams of whole cane sugar. This is not refined white sugar. The depth of the molasses darkens and moistens the crumbs. Mix until the mixture is pale and slightly frothy. The sugar dissolves in the eggs and forms a base that holds the fat and air.
Next, the flavor profile is presented. You need one tablespoon of black tea, especially a blend of black currant and garden. Steep this tea in a very small amount of hot water for a strong concentrate, or steep it directly in amber rum. If using rum, let sit for 15 minutes. Amber rum is agri rum, which means it is distilled from sugar cane juice and not molasses. It has a grassy, vegetal flavor cuts through the sweetness of apple or sugar.
Sift 10 g of phosphate-free baking powder into the egg mixture. This is a small amount, so the goal is not to increase it significantly. You want density. You want a moist cake, not a fluffy one. Fold the baking powder in gently.
Pour in the rum tea mix. Then fold in the dried apples. Observe how the batter changes color. It should turn a deep, rich amber color. If the batter is too thick, add water or tea to loosen, but don’t overmix. Over-mixing will develop gluten in the flour (if you add any, this recipe seems light on dry goods, rely on the eggs and sugar for structure) and the cake will become tough.
Pour the batter into the oiled walnut mold. Smooth the surface with a spatula. Place it in the center of the oven.
Bake for about 45-50 minutes. The cake is ready when the top is set and cracked slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or just a few moist crumbs. It will smell warm apple, dark tea and earthy rum.
Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove. Adding walnut oil to the frying pan will help remove stains, but be gentle. The cake is very fragile when warm.
Serve warm or at room temperature. It holds together well, but the texture is dense. It is not a light sponge. This is a rich and complex comfort food cake. Blackcurrant tea gives the crumb with a tartness and balances the sugar. The rum doesn’t make it alcoholic in a
