Embrace nostalgic flavors and homey feelings with apfelkuchen—an old-fashioned dessert recipe that's been deliciously prepped for more than 150 years.
Instructions
1
Prep the apples
2
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Before starting anything else, let the egg yolks stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. While the egg yolks are coming to room temperature, prep the apples. Take one apple half and, starting 1/2 inch from one end, cut the apple lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices, leaving the slices attached at the top so they fan out slightly. Repeat with the other three apple halves.
3
Cream the butter, sugar and eggs
4
Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream them until light and fluffy. This will take some time—five to seven minutes on medium-high speed. After creaming, beat in the room-temperature egg yolks one at a time. Make sure you fully incorporate each yolk before adding the next.
5
Add the dry ingredients
6
Grab your sifter and sift together the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking powder and salt. Once you’re done sifting, sift again. Sifting may seem like a pain, but don’t skip it here. It’ll help give the cake the right chewy texture. Slowly add the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Beat until just combined, then add the milk. This German apple cake batter is thick! Don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t resemble a typical cake batter. You want the batter to be thick, rich and buttery. Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have a flour sifter, a mesh sieve works just fine.
7
Prep the pan and add the cake batter
8
Grab your 9-inch springform pan and wrap the exterior with a sheet of foil. (Even leakproof pans aren’t foolproof!) Then spritz the interior of the pan with cooking spray. Even if the pan is nonstick, grease it to make removing the cake easier. Spread the cake batter into the pan in as even a layer as possible. Because the batter is thick, it may take a little finessing, but you’ll get it.
9
Add the apples
10
Gently press the fanned apples, round side up, into the batter. Don’t press the apples too far into the batter—a quarter inch will do. Editor’s Tip: If your apples split apart when you fan them, don’t worry. Just press them into the batter anyway. The cake batter will bake up around the apples and you won’t be able to tell.
11
Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, 45 to 55 minutes. Editor’s Tip: If you find that after 55 minutes the toothpick is still coming out covered in uncooked batter, don’t fret. Just keep the cake in the oven and retest every five minutes until it’s done. You can tent the pan with foil to prevent excess browning. Because moisture levels vary in apples, cook times can vary for this recipe. It’s OK if the cake takes a bit longer.
12
Cool the cake
13
Remove the apfelkuchen from the oven and let it cool at room temperature on a wire rack. After 10 minutes, run a knife around the inside edge of the cake pan and remove the foil. Let the cake cool at room temp for another hour before removing the springform collar. For a finishing touch, dust on confectioners’ sugar to make everything look more delicious and polished. Then, slice with a sharp knife and serve!
