(Adapted from “Flour” by Joanne Chang)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup cake flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. coarse kosher salt

¾ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. cloves

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room

temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3 medium tart apples, peeled, cored, and

coarsely chopped

½ cup golden raisins

Powdered sugar, for dusting

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch round or 12×8-inch rectangular cake pan.

Whisk together both flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a medium bowl.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the flour and spice mixture and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating mixture after each one. Continue to beat for 1 minute until mixture becomes light and fluffy.

Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in apples and raisins. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cake is set and a dark golden brown.  Transfer pan onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely.

When cool, turn cake out onto a platter. Cover platter well with aluminum foil.  Let remain at room temperature overnight.

Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 8-10 servings.