Let me start by saying, this is not a cake. It’s more like a custard-y kind of cake, really moist and absolutely wonderful. This in the kind of cake you whip up when you have lots of apples around the house but, you are in no mood for piecrust. It’s simple, foolproof and really delicious with more apples than sponge and the most wonderful crunchy topping.

This is based on a recipe by the one-and-only Dorie Greenspan. She calls it “Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake”. It’s a cake rich with butter and apples, with very little flour. I changed a few things like enriching the batter with some ground almonds, which add so much flavour and topped it with a crunchy, streusel topping. The result is a delicious, gorgeous, extremely moist cake that’s more like clafoutis than a cake, an apple crumble only denser and creamier. Ok, it’s hard to describe! Have one slice and you will be asking for seconds.

For the cake

• 6 golden delicious apples (or any other apple variety)
• Juice of one lemon
• 185 grams unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed soft light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup raw almonds
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda

For the topping

• ½ cup raw almonds
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup packed soft light brown sugar
• 1 Tbs granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 60 grams unsalted butter, melted

Method

Preheat oven to 175 C. Butter and flour the base and sides of a 25 cm spring form pan.

Peel the apples, core them and cut them in quarters. Slice each quarter into about 5 mm slices. Toss apple slices with lemon juice.

Melt the butter over low heat and let it cool a bit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugars until fluffy. Add the vanilla and milk. Mix until combined.

In a bowl of a food processor put the almonds with ¼ cup of the flour. Pulse until finely ground.

In a bowl sift remaining flour with the salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to that the almond-flour mixture and mix.

Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg/sugar/milk mixture. Mix lightly with a spatula. Add half of the melted butter and mix again. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining melted butter. Mix again with the spatula. Finish with the remaining flour mixture and mix until combined.

Pour apples and their juices to the cake batter. Mix with the spatula until batter is evenly distributed. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Check if the top is browning too much and cover loosely with foil. Bake 30 minutes longer.

Make topping while cake bakes. In a bowl of a food processor add almonds, flour, sugars and salt. Pulse until almonds are coarsely grated. Pour mixture in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until combined and butter is evenly distributed.

After 1 hour take the cake out of the oven and remove foil. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the surface of the cake. Return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes until topping is golden.

Leave cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Run a spatula all the way around the pan to loosen the cake and remove the sides of the cake pan. Cool to room temperature.

Transfer cake on a cake platter. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Delish!

 

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Apple Cake with Crunchy Almond Topping

For the cake

• 6 golden delicious apples (or any other apple variety)
• Juice of one lemon
• 185 grams unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed soft light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup raw almonds
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda

For the topping

• ½ cup raw almonds
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup packed soft light brown sugar
• 1 Tbs granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 60 grams unsalted butter, melted

Method

Preheat oven to 175 C. Butter and flour the base and sides of a 25 cm spring form pan.

Peel the apples, core them and cut them in quarters. Slice each quarter into about 5 mm slices. Toss apple slices with lemon juice.

Melt the butter over low heat and let it cool a bit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugars until fluffy. Add the vanilla and milk. Mix until combined.

In a bowl of a food processor put the almonds with ¼ cup of the flour. Pulse until finely ground.

In a bowl sift remaining flour with the salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to that the almond-flour mixture and mix.

Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg/sugar/milk mixture. Mix lightly with a spatula. Add half of the melted butter and mix again. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining melted butter. Mix again with the spatula. Finish with the remaining flour mixture and mix until combined.

Pour apples and their juices to the cake batter. Mix with the spatula until batter is evenly distributed. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Check if the top is browning too much and cover loosely with foil. Bake 30 minutes longer.

Make topping while cake bakes. In a bowl of a food processor add almonds, flour, sugars and salt. Pulse until almonds are coarsely grated. Pour mixture in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until combined and butter is evenly distributed.

After 1 hour take the cake out of the oven and remove foil. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the surface of the cake. Return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes until topping is golden.

Leave cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Run a spatula all the way around the pan to loosen the cake and remove the sides of the cake pan. Cool to room temperature.

Transfer cake on a cake platter. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Delish!