Family Recipe Friday - Apfelkuchen mit Guss

My Granny used to make a cake quite similar to this one, and my Grandpa called it apfelkuchen [apple cake]. Unfortunately, Granny never gave me the recipe for it…. But here is one I found on the internet a couple of years ago that tastes very much like Granny’s, and which I dearly enjoy, as it brings back those memories of two people long gone, but whom I miss very much.

 

 

Makes one, 13 x 9 inch cake, about 15 pieces.

Ingredients:

·         ***Fruit***

·         3-4 (1 lb.) apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced

·         2 T. lemon juice

·         ***Batter***

·         1 c. + 2 T. (240 ml) whipping cream

·         2/3 c. sugar (120 g.) sugar

·         2 tsp. vanilla sugar or 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

·         Zest from 1/2 lemon

·         3 eggs

·         1 3/4 c. (220 g.) flour

·         1 tsp. double acting baking powder

·         1/4 tsp. salt

·         ***Glaze***

·         4 1/2 T. (60 g.) butter

·         1/3 c. (60 g.) sugar

·         2 T. milk or cream

·         1/4 c. slivered or ground almonds, hazelnuts or other

Preparation:

Toss together apple slices and lemon juice. Set aside.

Beat cream, sugars and lemon peel together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time until smooth. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, then briefly stir into cream until smooth.

Smooth batter into a 9 by 13 inch, greased and floured pan. Layer apple slices on top of the batter (or toss them haphazardly, if you are so inclined). Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

While the cake is baking, bring butter, sugar and milk (or cream) to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil until sugar is dissolved. Stir in nuts and keep warm.

Remove cake from oven. Drizzle glaze over cake. If you double the glaze recipe, it will cover all the apples but if you make the amount given, it will cover just half the cake. Bake for a further 25-35 minutes at 350°F, or until cake springs back when touched and glaze is browned.

Cool for ten minutes before cutting.