Apple cake

30 years ago in London my German neighbor baked every Saturday, but would never share many recipes. My favorite was an apple cake, the top and bottom was a very thin layer of something between a pastry and a sponge cake. The filling was large chunks of firmly cooked apples. I have searched since then and never found anything like it. I have no idea how she made it, any ideas?

We know various types of apple cake (Apfelkuchen) in Germany, and recipes abound. I suppose your neighbour made a gedeckter Apfelkuchen (covered apple cake).

Other variations of German apple cake are

Versunkener Apfelkuchen - a cake batter topped with apple pieces which sink into the cake during the baking process

Apple cake with a yeast dough topped with crumbles

Apfelkuchen mit Mürbeteig - the dough is a shortcrust pastry type, the cake is also topped with crumbles

So here is a recipe you could try, hopefully it is similar to what you are looking for.

Ingredients

For the dough:
* 400g / (4 cups) plain all-purpose flour (Type 405), sifted
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 100g (1/2 cup) sugar
* 200g (1 cup) soft butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar sugar
* 1 pinch salt
* 2 medium eggs
For the filling:
* 1 kg (2 1/4 lb) cooking apples
* 50g (4 tablespoons) sugar
* 1 pinch cinnamon powder
* 30g (3 tablespoons) raisins - you can soak them in 2 tablespoons rum or water to make them softer
* 50g (4 tablespoons) butter
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the coating
* 200g (1 1/2 cup) icing sugar
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

* Mix the flour and baking powder, add the other ingredients and stir using a hand mixer with kneading hooks. Briefly knead the dough with your hands, form a roll and let it cool for at least 30 minutes.
* Peel, quarter and core the apples and cut them into slices or smaller pieces, whatever you prefer. Sprinkle the apples with lemon juice to prevent they get brown.
* Melt the butter in a pan and lightly braise the apples with sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Let the mixture cool.
* Cut the dough into 2 halves, roll out the first piece of dough (larger than the size of the pan) and place it into a greased 26cm (10in) non-stick springform pan, form an edge about 3cm (1 1/8in).
* Spread the apples on the dough, roll out the rest of the dough and cover the apples. Press the edge of the cover against the dough edge you formed before.
* Prick the dough cover here and there with a fork.
* Bake in a preheated oven at about 180°C / 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes. Check the cake after 40 minutes, possibly reduce the heat to prevent the cake is getting too dark.
* Prepare a thick paste from icing sugar and lemon juice to cover the cake while it is still warm.

Guten Appetit.

Rita

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