The Catalan TableIngredients
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- Apples
- 4 apples
- 4 flames
- 1 puff pastry dough
- 50 butter
- 150 gpowdered sugar
- 50 gflour for the work surface
- Dark syrup
- 150 gsugar
- 150 mlwater
- 30 gbutter
Nutritional Information
Per Serving (Approx.)
Calories
9443 kcal
Protein
16 g
Fat
1022 g
Carbohydrates
100 g
Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.
Step-by-step Guide
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes to ensure it reaches the correct temperature when baking.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt thoroughly until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the beaten eggs and mix with a spatula until the batter is smooth and homogeneous.
- Gradually incorporate the oil while continuing to whisk to ensure a good emulsion.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix for 1-2 minutes to ensure it is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour the batter into a mold that has been previously greased and floured to prevent sticking.
- Place the mold in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before unmolding and serving.
Make a Dark Syrup
- Put the butter and sugar in a saucepan over low heat and stir constantly as it caramelizes. This process could take between 5 to 10 minutes. It's important to keep the heat low to avoid burning the sugar.
- When the mixture reaches a bright golden color, gradually add the water, stirring continuously. Continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes until the mixture reaches the desired caramel texture. Important: Before pouring the water into the sugar saucepan, wear an oven mitt on the hand you are using to stir, as a very hot steam burst is produced that could cause burns.
Prepare the Apples
- Peel the apples and slice them into thin slices using a mandoline, ensuring they have an even thickness for uniform cooking.
- Submerge the apple slices in a suitable syrup, ensuring they are all well-covered, and let them rest for 2 hours to allow them to absorb the flavors. Reserve the apples for later use.
Puff Pastry
- Remove the tray from the oven and set it aside for later.
- Preheat the oven to 165 ºC to ensure it is at the correct temperature for cooking.
- Unroll the puff pastry dough on the counter without removing it from the parchment paper. Cut it to the size of the mold so that it fits well.
- Cover the dough with another sheet of parchment paper and carefully place it on the reserved tray.
- Place a second empty tray on top of the dough to weigh it down, preventing the dough from rising during baking. Note: If a second tray is not available, prick the dough with a fork and cover it with parchment paper.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 165 ºC until the puff pastry acquires a golden tone.
- Remove the dough from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- When the dough is completely cool, preheat the oven to 240 ºC for the next phase.
- Dust a thin and even layer of powdered sugar over the already baked puff pastry. Make sure it is cool before adding the sugar.
- Return the puff pastry to the oven for about 2 or 3 minutes, monitoring constantly, as the baking time is very short.
- Remove it from the oven when the powdered sugar has slightly melted. Set aside for later use or to serve.
Assemble the Cake
- Line the base of the mold with parchment paper, ensuring that the paper completely covers the bottom and sides of the mold. This is important as this cake is assembled upside down.
- Begin placing the apple slices in an overlapping fan shape. Make sure to use the prettiest slices for this first layer as they will be visible when unmolded.
- Once we have the first layer of apple, continue creating successive layers of apple until the mold is filled, pressing each layer lightly to ensure they are well compacted.
- Cut small pieces of butter and scatter them evenly over the last layer of apple, ensuring even distribution.
- Place the mold with the layers of apple in the preheated oven at 160 ºC and bake for 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove the mold from the oven and carefully drain the excess liquid.
- Now, spread the flan evenly over the already cooked layers of apple, ensuring they cover the entire surface.
- Return the mold to the oven, still at 160 ºC, for an additional 5 minutes to allow the flan to integrate well with the apple.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately place it on top of the caramelized puff pastry base, pressing gently to ensure it adheres.
- Cover with a large plate and carefully invert the mold to unmold the cake, taking care not to break it.
- Carefully unmold and remove the baking paper that was placed at the bottom of the mold, ensuring the cake remains whole.
Recommendations & Tricks
- Make sure to buy good quality puff pastry, and if possible, preheat the oven to 220°C so it's ready when you need it.
- Use powdered sugar to avoid lumps and achieve a smooth caramel. Sift it over the work surface before rolling the pastry.
- Sprinkle flour over the work surface to prevent the puff pastry from sticking while you handle it.
- In a saucepan, combine 150 grams of sugar and 150 ml of water over medium-high heat until you achieve a dark syrup, stirring gently to dissolve well.
- Add 30 grams of butter to the syrup and continue cooking over low heat until a golden and glossy caramel forms, stirring occasionally.
- When the caramel is ready, carefully pour it into the bottom of the tart pan, ensuring it evenly covers the entire base before placing the apples.