Tuscan Apple Cake With a Crackly Meringue
- Ready In:
- 1hr 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
10-12
ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (organic preferred)
- 1 1⁄2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- generous pinch salt
- 3⁄4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 3⁄4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 shredded large lemon, zest of
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 large about 1 pound apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Gala)
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons sugar
directions
- Place the rack in center of the oven and preheat to 375°F Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. In a large bowl, with your fingertips, rub together the first measure of flour, the 1 1/2 cups sugar, salt, and butter until crumbly. Remove 1 cup of the crumbs and press them onto bottom of the springform pan and about 1/2-inch up the sides, making a crust about 1/8-inch thick.
- Make a well in the remaining crumb mixture. Pour into it the milk, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, the second measure of flour, and baking powder. With a whisk, blend this mixture thoroughly without incorporating the crumbs. Then with a wooden spoon stir in the crumbs until well blended but still a little lumpy. Fold in the apples. Scrape the batter into the pan.
- Beat the egg white until foamy. Beat in the 2 tablespoons sugar until whites barely stand in peaks. Zigzag it over the top of the batter, leaving 2/3 of the batter uncovered.
- Bake 65 to 75 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool 30 minutes on a wire rack. Slip off sides of the pan and finish cooling cake. Serve at room temperature. Covered in plastic wrap, the cake holds well at cool room temperature for 2 days. It keeps a week in the refrigerator. Warming in the oven makes it even tastier.
Questions & Replies

Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
Have any thoughts about this recipe?
Share it with the community!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<style>body { background: url("http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3639/3512121819_f2f1aaf050.jpg?v=0"); background-repeat: repeat-y; }</style>
OK, here goes. I live in Athens, Greece. I moved out here many, many years ago from Ottawa, Canada - so I am blessed in having two wonderful heritages!
I suffer from compulsive obsessive behaviour with regard to food and my psychiatrist thought it would be a good idea to find a 'society' where many have the same problem and try to find a cure.
So far, I've copied a couple of thousand recipes from this site and my psychiatrist has thrown the towel in and refuses to answer the phone when I call.
What did I do wrong?
Got 3 kids that keep me on the go - 10 and under at this point (2008) - I may not get round to updating this for a few years, so you'll have to do your own maths.
I teach English full-time and Greek Cookery part-time. I would like to make the cooking part of it full-time and the English Grammar part of it part-time.
That's all for now.