German Apple Cake Versunkener Apfelkuchen
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
- 3 small apples (Granny Smith and Pink Lady) around 110g/3.9oz each
-
Lemon juice to prevent apples browning
-
1.5 cups/225g/7.9ozs cake flour*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs milk (full cream or skim)
- 30ml/1floz lemon juice
- 150g/5ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 130g/4.6ozs butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- Icing or powdered sugar and vanilla ice cream to serve
Cake flour can be bought at the supermarket. You can also make it at home. To make 1 cup/150g/5.2ozs of cake flour replace 2 tablespoons of plain all purpose flour with cornflour/fine cornstarch and whisk well. I usually mix up a big batch of this and keep it in a container ready for baking cakes as it produces a softer texture.
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 140C/284F fan forced and line a 23cm/9 inch springform cake tin on the base and sides with parchment. Core and quarter the apples. With a paring knife cut apple into thin slices but keep together in bundles. Drizzle with lemon juice on the cut side to prevent browning on the apple.
Step 2 - Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside and then in another jug mix the milk and lemon juice and allow to curdle. With a mixer, beat the sugar, butter and vanilla together until pale (around 3-5 minutes). Then add eggs one at a time beating between well each addition. Add the flour mixture in two lots alternating with the milk. Scoop into the prepared tin. Take a quarter bundle of the apple and fan out and place right next to each other until the cake is covered with apple slices. Bake for 45-50 minutes turning halfway. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes. Then sieve powdered sugar on top and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Thermomix German Apple Cake Recipe
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 140C/280F fan forced and line a 23cm/9inch springform cake tin on the base and sides with parchment. Core and quarter the apples. With a paring knife cut apple into thin slices but keep together in bundles. Drizzle with lemon juice on the cut side to prevent browning on the apple.
Step 2 - Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside and then in another jug mix the milk and lemon juice and allow to curdle. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the TM bowl and set to 30 seconds, speed #4. Scrape down the sides halfway through. Remove the MC and set to 30 seconds speed #4 and drop in eggs one at a time (I find it easiest to crack the eggs first and then drop one from a bowl). Add the half of flour mixture and half of the milk and set to 2 seconds turbo. Scrape down the sides and add the remaining half of flour and milk and set to 2 seconds turbo, twice. Scoop into the prepared tin. Take a quarter bundle of the apple and fan out and place right next to each other until the cake is covered with apple. Bake for 45-50 minutes turning halfway. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes. Then sieve powdered sugar on top and serve with vanilla ice cream.