In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis describes a sugar-topped tea cake in a tea scene. This recipe is derived from that scene and can be used as either a tea cake or a coffee cake. We got it from The Book Lover’s Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature and the Passages that Feature Them.

This sour cream based tea cake has an apple and walnut filling. It really is quite good.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 large apple, diced
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup walnuts

Directions

1. Cream the sugar and sour cream together. Add the egg whites, vanilla, and applesauce, beating after each addition.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixing only until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the butter or margarine, cinnamon, applesauce, two tablespoons of sugar, and walnuts and stir well. Set aside.
4. Spoon half of the batter into a well-greased and floured tube pan. Spread half the apple mixture over the batter in the pan. Pour the remaining batter into the tube pan. Spread the remaining filling on top.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 to 55 minutes.