Oma's Apfelkuchen

kim in the UK's Note:

or Sunken Apple cake. This is based on a recipe my grandmother used. The apples are placed on top of the dough, which raises as baked, making the apples appear as if they have sunk into the cake.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 1.0 cake

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup soft butter or 2/3 cup margarine, plus some for the form
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 -3 drops almond extract (optional)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup ground almonds (optional)
• 8 apples (approx.)
• 1 lemon, juice of (optional)
• 1/3 cup currants (optional)
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon icing sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat the butter or margarine with a wooden spoon or mixer until creamy. Slowly add the sugar, together with the vanilla sugar, salt and almond extract, alternating with the eggs. Mix the dough until it is very foamy and the sugar has been thoroughly dissolved. Sift in the flour with the baking powder, add the ground almonds, and mix everything together quickly.
3. Carefully coat a springform with butter or margarine. Pour the batter in and smooth down the surface. Peel the apples, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the cores. Cut into the outer surface a few times with a knife, but don’t cut all the way through. Brush apples with the lemon juice. Place the apples close together onto the batter, core side down. Soak the currants for a short time in hot water, wash thoroughly and rub dry in a cloth. Sprinkle the currants, together with the slivered almonds over the apples. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 75-80 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool before dusting with icing sugar.
4. Serve with whipped cream.
5. Note: I always leave out the optional items as I find they don’t they add much to the flavour of the cake.

Reviews

[swissms]

Excellent! I made the recipe using all of the optional ingredients. I could only fit 3 apples into my springform pan (I used Honey Crisp apples). I used 1/8 t. almond extract which was just the right amount. I did have to substitute raisins for the currants. I did not have any slivered almonds so sprinkled sliced almonds over the cake. Yum! Will definitely be making this again.

[Strawbelly]

My sister had tried this recipe first and sent me the link, so today I was in the mood for Apple Cake :) The recipe is great and the cake turned out wonderful ... YUMMY !!! I did not add the currants (yuck lol) and baked it just 1 hour and it was done already ... I have made a cake similar to this one before, but this recipe is definitely better.