Delicious Apple Shortcake
PREP TIME: 20min
COOKING TIME: 20min
SKILL: EASY
SERVES: 24
FILLING:
3 apples, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
SHORTCAKE:
170 grams (6 oz) butter, softened
150g (3/4 cup) white sugar
2 eggs
375g (3 cups) plain white flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (extra)
1 tablespoon icing sugar (optional)
METHOD
- Place apples, sugar, water, lemon zest and cinnamon in a pot with a lid. Cook on a medium to low heat until the apples are soft. Use a whizz stick to puree them (or leave chunky if preferred). Set aside.
- Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square baking tray with baking paper and preheat oven to 180C (350F).
- Place butter and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer and cream until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla and mix on low until just combined.
- In a medium sized bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine then fold this into the butter-sugar mixture until combined. Tip dough out onto a floured surface. Roll into a ball then cut in half. Wrap the dough in gladwrap then place in fridge for 10 minutes.
- Roll one half of the dough out between two pieces of baking paper (like I do in this recipe) into the size of the prepared baking tin. Peel the top layer of baking paper off and place the rolled out dough into the baking tin. Peel off the second piece of baking paper.
- Spread the apple filling over the dough until the who surface is covered.
- Repeat step 5 for second piece of dough. Place on top on the apple filling. Sprinkle sugar on top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool in pan before lifting out and cutting into squares. Garnish with icing sugar if desired.
By Sarah Sears
PRO TIPS, TRICKS & EXTRAS
This delicious apple shortcake recipe makes for a great afternoon snack.
I was given a big bag of apples which came fresh off an apple orchard from my neighbour the other day. We were struggling to get through them so what better way to use than up than in a delicious apple shortcake?
I don’t use much sugar in this recipe as the apples create enough sweetness on their own. The apple filling fits snug perfectly sandwiched in-between layers of soft vanilla shortcake and creates the perfect combination of flavour and texture all in one mouthful. Two little tips when making this delicious apple shortcake:
- To ensure extra light and fluffiness in the shortcake, be sure to use the creaming method properly. We want to create as many little air pockets as we can!
- You might notice the dough will be a little on the sticky side. That’s okay! To help with rolling it out, place the dough in between two layers of baking paper so that you don’t get dough stuck to the surface of your bench. This saves a lot of clean up in the end and easy handling (see pictures of how I do this here). Alternatively, you can leave it in the fridge to get really cold, making it easier to handle.
With all the apples falling off the trees at the moment, this delicious apple shortcake is the perfect thing to make this time of the year! And the best part is that this slice will last a long time in an air tight container. I actually find that the longer I leave it, the more moist and soft the shortcake becomes.
