apple cake with shortcrust pastry

Last autumn we planted a little apple tree in our garden and I’m overjoyed how many delicious and beautiful fruits our tree has given us this year. There are plenty of tasty things that can be made with apples; so stay tuned for some more luscious recipes in the next few weeks! The base for this apple cake is a cross between pastry and biscuit and tastes lovely with the juicy and slightly sour apples.

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Preparation for a 26 cm round cake mould or two 15 cm tart moulds

Preheat the oven to 200° C and line the base of the cake mould with parchment paper and brush the sides with butter.

For the short crust pastry:

• 125 g butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 100 g brown sugar
• 200 g flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Put the butter, the sugar and the egg in a mixing bowl and beat until well mixed.

Tip in the flour, the baking powder and cinnamon and mix again until a dough has formed. The dough should feel a little bit moist.

Transfer the dough to the cake pan and press it into the pan until the base and sides are evenly covered with a neat layer of dough.

For the filling:

• 3 – 4 apples
• 150 g butter, at room temperature
• 125 sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 lemon, juice and zest
• 100 flour
• 2 dl whipped cream
• 30 sliced almonds
• dash of sugar

Peel, quarter and core the apples and cut them in slices and arrange them in a circular pattern on the dough, fitting them as close together as possible.

Put the soft butter, the sugar, the egg and the lemon juice and zest in a bowl and beat until well mixed.

Add the flour and gently fold in the whipped cream.

Spoon the filling in the prepared cake pan over the apples and sprinkle the sliced almonds and sugar over the top.

Bake the cake on the second lowest rack of the oven for about 25 minutes.

Turn off the oven and let the cake in the oven for another 15 minutes. Then transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Happy baking!