Very Fine German Apple Cake

This is a very nice, easily prepared cake. It tastes good still slightly warm or the next day. I serve it with whipped cream sweetened with vanilla sugar. The recipe is from one of the most popular German books on baking "Backen macht Freude" (baking makes joy?). I hope, you will enjoy it with a cup of coffee or tea or milk or whatever you like.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 12 pieces

Ingredients

• For the topping

• 2  lbs  small tart apples
• 3  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1⁄8 cup raisins (optional)
• 2  tablespoons butter, melted (30 grams)

• For the batter

• 9  tablespoons butter, at room temperature (125 grams)
• 3⁄4 cup sugar (150 grams)
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 1  tablespoon  grated fresh lemon zest
• 3  small eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour, plus
• 5  tablespoons flour (225 grams)
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1 -2  tablespoon milk

• For the glaze

• 2  tablespoons  apricot preserves
• 1  tablespoon water

Directions

1. Grease 11 inch springform.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C.
3. For the topping: Peel, quarter and core apples.
4. Make lengthwise cuts on the outer rounded side 1/8 inch apart, so that the apple quarter still holds together but will cook quicker.
5. Brush with lemon juice to avoid browning.
6. For the batter: Mix flour with baking powder.In a bowl cream butter with sugar, vanilla and lemon peel with a mixer.
7. Add eggs, one at a time.
8. Beat until mixture turns light yellow and has increased in volume.
9. Add half of the flour and 1 tbs milk, mixing just until blended.
10. Add rest of flour.
11. Dough should have the consistency to drop slowly and heavily from a spoon, forming long tips.
12. If too firm add another tbs of milk, if to soft add another tbs of flour.
13. Mix to blend.
14. Pour batter into greased form.
15. Make a level surface with a wet spatula.
16. Arrange apple quarters rounded side up on the dough to make a nice pattern,but leave a 1/2 inch rim along the side of your form.
17. Apples will sink into dough while baking.
18. Brush with melted butter.
19. Sprinkle with raisins (optional).
20. Put in the middle of the oven.
21. Bake for 40-50 min at 350°F, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
22. Remove cake from oven.
23. Melt apricot jam with water over low heat, pass through a sieve and brush the hot cake with it.
24. Remove cake from the springform,let cool and serve with whipped cream.