Steps

1. Cut parchment paper to fit the pound cake pan, make notches at the four corners, and line the pan.
   🕒 01:40
2. Peel and core 1 apple, then dice it into 1cm cubes.
   🕒 01:58
3. Place all the diced apples in a frying pan and heat over medium heat. Once heated, add 20g granulated sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice, then cook while stirring until the sugar melts.
   🕒 02:40
4. Once the sugar has melted, cover with a lid and continue to steam over medium heat for 5 minutes.
   🕒 03:10
5. In a separate bowl, add 2g black tea leaves and pour in 1 tbsp of hot water (not part of the stated amount). Mix well, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let it steep until ready to use.
   🕒 03:24
6. After 5 minutes, open the lid on the apples and stir well. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring, until they become translucent. (Key Tip!) Make sure to thoroughly evaporate the apple's moisture and sauté until caramel-colored.
   🕒 03:41
7. Transfer the cooked apples to a tray and spread them out to cool.
   🕒 04:21
8. Place 60g unsalted butter in a bowl and microwave for 40 seconds at 600W until completely melted.
   🕒 04:38
9. Preheat your oven to 170℃ (340°F).
   🕒 04:55
10. Crack 2 eggs into another bowl and whisk them. Once whisked, add 40g granulated sugar and mix immediately. (Key Tip!) Mix the granulated sugar quickly after adding it to prevent lumps from forming.
    🕒 05:01
11. Add the melted butter to the egg mixture and mix well to prevent separation.
    🕒 05:28
12. Add the steeped black tea leaves (including the leaves themselves) to the egg mixture and mix. (Key Tip!) Steeping the tea leaves before adding them will enhance the black tea aroma and result in a more flavorful cake.
    🕒 05:41
13. Sift in 150g hot cake mix and mix well to avoid lumps. (Key Tip!) Sifting the mix will help the batter blend more smoothly.
    🕒 05:56
14. Add the cooled caramel apples to the batter and mix with a rubber spatula.
    🕒 06:12
15. Pour the batter into the pound cake pan. Drop the pan a couple of times from a slight height to remove air bubbles. Use a spatula to create a slight indentation in the center.
    🕒 06:28
16. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated 170℃ (340°F) oven for 8 minutes.
    🕒 06:48
17. After baking for 8 minutes, remove from the oven and make a cut down the center. (Key Tip!) Making this cut will ensure the cake rises beautifully and evenly.
    🕒 06:55
18. Return to the oven at 170℃ (340°F) and bake for the remaining 32 minutes.
    🕒 07:08
19. Once baked, remove the cake from the pan immediately while still warm and let it cool slightly. To prevent the surface from drying out while cooling, loosely cover with paper. (Key Tip!) Removing the cake from the pan immediately after baking prevents the center from sinking.
    🕒 07:23
20. Once cooled to room temperature, peel off the parchment paper. If you prefer a moister texture, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit at cool room temperature overnight. (Key Tip!) Letting it sit overnight will result in a moister pound cake.
    🕒 07:42
21. Slice into your desired thickness.
    🕒 08:11