Apple Cheddar Thyme Crumble Cake
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Crammed with apples, subtly fragrant with thyme and blanketed with a cheddar crumble this Apple Cheddar Thyme Crumble Cake is the perfect comforting Autumnal cake.
I am often asked what gave me inspiration for this apple and cheese cake which is a slightly unusual combination. However, I have always loved apple pie with a cheese pastry crust. The smooth balance of a fine crumbly cheddar and sweet crisp autumn apples is never a taste to tire of. And cheese cake is a thing right?
What makes this Apple Cheddar Cake so good?
- This is undoubtedly a sweet cake but the cheddar gives a soft savoury note which keeps you coming back for more!
- The sour cream sponge is densely crammed with apples and fragrant with thyme.
- A soft cheddar crumble blankets the surface to add a delicious mature nuttiness.
- The earthy flavour of sorghum flour compliments the cake.
Which Apples do you need for this cake?
You need a good tart apple which will hold together so a Granny Smith is a perfect choice. Jazz apples and Pink Ladies are also good but add a little more sweetness.
More apple cakes you’ll love!
- The Best Gluten-Free Apple Cake
- Apple and Cinnamon Cake with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Apple and Blueberry Maple Cake - this cake is refined sugar-free too!!
- Apple Cinnamon Ricotta Friands
What about the cheese?
A lovely mature cheddar cheese is perfect for this cake. You want that flavour to really come through.
Flour substitutions
I developed this cake using the alternative flours sorghum flour and sweet rice flour which not only makes this cake gluten-free but also gives this cake such a delicious backdrop of flavour.
However, if you don’t need the cake to be gluten-free then you can easily swap in plain white flour.
Or if you do need the cake to be gluten-free but are finding sorghum flour and sweet rice flour hard to find then you can substitute with plain gluten-free flour (any brand of your choice) and ground almonds.
The different flour amounts can be found at the bottom of the recipe card in the notes section.
SHOP THE RECIPE
- 13" x 9" Baking Tin
- Gluten-Free Sweet Rice Flour
- Gluten-Free Sorghum Flour
- Gluten-Free Potato Starch
I urge you to give this Apple Cheddar and Thyme Crumble Cake a try and if you do then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own baking creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
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Apple Cheddar Thyme Crumble Cake
Ingredients
For the cheddar crumble top:
- 140 g caster sugar
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 80 g sweet rice flour
- 70 g sorghum flour
- 20 g potato starch
- 100 g cheddar - grated
For the cake:
- 215 g sweet rice flour
- 200 g sorghum flour
- 40 g potato starch
- 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 340 g unsalted butter
- 340 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 300 g sour cream
- 4 granny smith apples - peeled, cored and cubed
For the glaze:
- 140 g icing sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 170°C/160°C (fan oven)/gas mark 4 and line and grease a 9x13” rectangular cake tin.
- First make the crumble topping by rubbing together all the ingredients except the cheddar. Then stir in the cheddar cheese. Spread out onto a baking sheet and place in the freezer whilst you prepare the rest of the cake.
- In a large bowl sift the flours together with the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, thyme leaves and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a food mixer for 10 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, beating in one by one then add the vanilla extract.
- Spoon in ⅓ of the flour mix, beat into the batter then add ½ of the sour cream and beat in. Repeat again and then add the last ⅓ of flour mix, beating until the batter is smooth.
- Pour half of the cake mixture into the cake tin, then tumble in half of the chopped apples. Pour the rest of the cake mixture over, smooth and then scatter the rest of the apples over the top.
- Finally sprinkle over the crumble topping so all the apples are covered.
- Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, check after 25 minutes and if you think the cheese is browning too much then place a loose sheet of tin foil over the top of the cake tin for the rest of the bake.
- Remove the cake from the oven, leave to rest for 5 minutes then carefully remove from the tin.
- Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack until you decorate with the glaze.
- To make the glaze mixing the icing sugar with the milk until thick but pourable. Drizzle over the cake and then leave to set for at least an hour before cutting into squares.
Notes
- If you don't want to use alternative flours - You can swap out the sorghum flour, sweet rice flour and tapioca flour for 450g plain white flour.
- Or, if you would like the cake to be gluten-free but can't get hold of the alternative flours listed then you can swap out the sorghum flour, sweet rice flour and tapioca flour for 225g gluten-free plain white flour + 225g ground almonds
