To celebrate Apple Day, which takes place in October each year, we have put together the following delicious recipe, which is the perfect way to use up some of the apples from this year’s bumper crop!
This recipe is based on a traditional North German recipe, but will be perfect with any variety of English cooking apple.
Apple cake with a crispy almond topping
Serves 6 to 8
For the pastry:
300g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 large egg
80g sugar
Few drops vanilla extract
150g butter
For the filling:
Six large peeled apples sliced
1 tablespoon water
60g sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon rum
For the topping:
80g butter
80g sugar
2 dessertspoons honey
150g sliced almonds
1 tablespoon milk
Make a pliable dough from the plain flour, egg, baking powder, vanilla extract and butter.
Line the bottom and sides of a well buttered (or greaseproof paper lined) spring form cake tin with half of the dough and blind bake for 10 or 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Allow to cool.
For the filling, slice the apples and simmer gently in a pan containing the water, sugar, cinnamon and rum for 5 minutes. Once cooled, add to prebaked pastry shell and top with the other half of the dough.
Make the topping by heating up the butter with the sugar, honey and almonds. Once melted, add the milk and pour onto the top of the cake.
Bake for 20-30 minutes at 180 degrees until the topping is golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool fully before removing from the tin.
Slice and serve on its own or with whipped cream or ice cream.