A Marseille restaurant's apple cake recipe shared by Meera Sodha
Chef Lili's apple cake at Limmat in Marseille uses one and a half kilos of apples, sliced and bound with a batter. The cake has a sweet caramelised edge and a soft creamy apple centre. This recipe is featured in Meera Sodha's column.
The recipe originates from chef Lili at Limmat restaurant in Marseille. It requires a specific 23cm springform tin and a food processor with a 2mm slicing disc to achieve the thin apple slices, though a mandoline or knife can be used with patience.
The cake's preparation involves layering 1.5kg of peeled, cored Braeburn apples horizontally before pouring over a batter of eggs, double cream, brown sugar, flour, and baking powder. After baking for 1 hour 40 minutes, it must chill for at least four hours before serving with creme fraiche.
The recipe's reliance on 1.5kg of apples could encourage home cooks to purchase larger quantities of seasonal, local fruit, potentially supporting regional orchards and reducing packaging waste. The extended baking and chilling times may also influence household energy usage patterns. Furthermore, the recipe's popularity through a prominent column could shift home baking trends toward fruit-forward, lower-sugar desserts, potentially reducing reliance on processed ingredients and fostering a more sustainable, ingredient-driven approach to home cooking.