Many German bakeries put their own spin on this cake, ranging from yeasted to baking powder leavened, lined with a dense pastry almost like a tart; sometimes spiced, light and airy, or buttery and dense. The recipe below is my preferred style – slightly spiced, buttery, and light – more of a cake than a tart. I like using Granny Smiths for the tartness.
Yields8 ServingsPrep Time15 minsCook Time1 hrTotal Time1 hr 15 mins
Cake
1 ½cupsall purpose flour
¾cupwhite sugar
2tspbaking powder
½tspsalt
⅛tspfresh grated nutmeg
¼tspground cinnamon
55gcold butter
½cupmilk
1egg
3apples
Custard
1cupheavy cream
2tspflour
½cupsugar
1egg
1tspvanilla extract
⅛tspfresh grated nutmeg
1pinchsalt
1
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
2
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together.
3
Cut the cold butter into small pieces. Press it into flour with your fingers until it is crumbly.
4
Whisk milk and egg in a small bowl and then add to flour. Stir until it just forms a batter. It should be thick.
5
Spoon mixture into a prepared 9-inch springform pan. Spread evenly across the bottom of the pan.
6
Peel, core, and slice apples then spread evenly over the cake batter. You can make patterns by choosing what direction to place these! Bake for 20 minutes.
7
Make the custard. Whisk 1/4 of the heavy cream and 2 tsp flour in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Add the rest of the cream, sugar, egg, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
8
When the cake reaches the 20-minute mark, take it out of the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C). Pour the custard over the top of the cake.
9
Place back in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when you touch it. Don’t overbake – you want this to be moist!
10
Once removed from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes then release the springform and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
Ingredients
Cake
1 ½cupsall purpose flour
¾cupwhite sugar
2tspbaking powder
½tspsalt
⅛tspfresh grated nutmeg
¼tspground cinnamon
55gcold butter
½cupmilk
1egg
3apples
Custard
1cupheavy cream
2tspflour
½cupsugar
1egg
1tspvanilla extract
⅛tspfresh grated nutmeg
1pinchsalt
Directions
1
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
2
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together.
3
Cut the cold butter into small pieces. Press it into flour with your fingers until it is crumbly.
4
Whisk milk and egg in a small bowl and then add to flour. Stir until it just forms a batter. It should be thick.
5
Spoon mixture into a prepared 9-inch springform pan. Spread evenly across the bottom of the pan.
6
Peel, core, and slice apples then spread evenly over the cake batter. You can make patterns by choosing what direction to place these! Bake for 20 minutes.
7
Make the custard. Whisk 1/4 of the heavy cream and 2 tsp flour in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Add the rest of the cream, sugar, egg, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
8
When the cake reaches the 20-minute mark, take it out of the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C). Pour the custard over the top of the cake.
9
Place back in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when you touch it. Don’t overbake – you want this to be moist!
10
Once removed from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes then release the springform and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
