Fancy Apple Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 125 grams (4.5 ounces or ⅜ cup) butter softened
- 125 grams (4.5 ounces or ⅝ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
- 2 pinches Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon lemon extract or 2 teaspoons lemon juice (from ½ lemon)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 200 grams (7 ounces or 2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 teaspoons milk
Apple Topping
- 500-600 grams (1 lb or 3 medium) apples McIntosh, Cox, Elstar, Jonathan, etc
- 33 gram (1.5 ounce or 3 tablespoons) butter
- 1 tablespoon demerara or brown sugar
Apricot Glaze
- 4 teaspoons apricot jam
- 2 teaspoons water
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (325°F if using convection heat). Grease an 11-inch/28-cm springform pan*. Wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil to prevent any potential batter leaking into the oven during baking.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer (or manual whisk), work the butter in the mixing bowl until it becomes smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon extract/juice and mix to combine. Beat or whisk at medium speed until the batter thickens. Add each egg one at a time, beating on high for 30 seconds after each addition.
- Sift or whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in three parts, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. After each addition, beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl, then beat on medium-low speed for about 10-15 seconds.
- Spoon the cake batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth out the top. It will likely look quite thin.
Apples
- Melt the butter in a small pan or the microwave.
- Wash the apples, peel them, cut each apple into quarters and remove the core. Make very thin lengthwise slits into each quartered apple piece, without extending the cut all the way through the apple.
Assembly
- Carefully arrange the sliced apple quarters in a decorative pattern on top of the cake batter in the springform pan. Drizzle the melted butter over the apples, sprinkle with the demerara or brown sugar, then place the pan in the oven.
- Bake the cake for about 45-55 minutes, rotating the cake midway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center (not through an apple) comes out clean, the top is golden brown, and the apples are caramelized. If the cake is browning too quickly, cover it with foil about midway through to prevent the apples from burning.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the apricot glaze. Rub the apricot jam through a sieve (if yours is chunky) and add it to a small saucepan together with the water. Bring the jam and water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat, and pour the glaze through a sieve into a small heatproof bowl. Set aside.
- As soon as the cake is done baking, pour the apricot glaze over the top to coat as much of the surface as possible. Brush with a pastry brush to distribute the glaze as needed.
- After 10-15 minutes, release the springform pan and place the cake on a rack to cool down.
- This cake will keep for several days or can be frozen after cooking.
Notes
If you only have a 9 or 10-inch springform pan, proceed with that but plan to bake the cake a little longer and use slightly less apples.