Easy and Tasty Apple Cake With Crumb Topping

This apple cake is super easy and quick to make, but will fool your guests into believing your worked really hard to serve them something extra special. The dough is soft and fluffy at the same time and the taste perfect for autumn.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Yields: 1 10 inch cake

Ingredients

• For the dough

• 100  g butter, softened
• 85  g sugar, granulated (can use more if your apples are on the tart side)
• 1  tablespoon  vanilla sugar
• 3  eggs
• 250  g flour (2 cups)
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 3 -4  apples, sliced thickly

• For the crumb topping

• 8  plain  butter cookies (I used 5 butter and 3 almond cookies) or 8  small graham crackers
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1  pinch  ground red chili pepper (hot)

Directions

1. In a big bowl cream butter, sugar and vanilla sugar for 8 minutes. Then beat in each egg for 30 seconds.
2. In a second bowl combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Add this to the butter egg mixture and mix in well. Dough will be thick, but if it seems too thick, add in a splash or two of milk.
3. Pour dough into a well greased spring-form pan (26 cm/10 inch in diameter) and spread it out evenly using the back of a spoon.
4. Arrange apple slices (peel facing up) in circles on top pressing them into the dough about half way.
5. Make the crumb topping by crushing the cookies and combining them with the cinnamon and chilli pepper. Sprinkle this on top of the apple slices.
6. Bake in the pre heated oven at 175°C/350°F for 40-50 minutes or until nicely browned on top and tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. If the cake threatens to get too brown, cover it with a baking paper.