Recipe for apple cake with tender slices and almond flour
This recipe for apple cake puts the fruit first: thin apple slices are bound with a modest batter rather than buried in a thick sponge. A little almond flour adds tenderness. The cake is baked in an 8- or 9-inch round pan and gives about eight slices.
Use apples that hold their shape when baked. Weigh the peeled, cored fruit, because three apples can vary greatly in size. Preparation takes about 20 minutes; baking is approximately 50–55 minutes, followed by cooling before cutting.
There may appear to be too little batter before baking; that is part of this fruit-forward style. Do not add an unmeasured extra cup of flour to make it resemble a conventional cake. Very thick apple chunks, however, can leave uneven gaps and need more time.
This version replaces the comparison recipe’s almond extract with vanilla and omits its sliced-almond coating. It still contains almonds through the flour and is not suitable for a nut allergy. Serve plain or with a separately chosen accompaniment; no topping is necessary to hold it together.
Ingredients
Step 1
Heat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease an 8- or 9-inch round pan, line the base with parchment and butter the parchment. A springform is convenient but not essential.
Step 2
Slice prepared apples about a quarter inch thick. Whisk all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl so the leavening is evenly distributed.
Step 3
Whisk melted butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth and lightly foamy. Fold in the dry mixture just until combined, then turn in the apple slices until coated.
Step 4
Scrape into the pan and spread apples into a fairly even layer. Bake approximately 50–55 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into a batter-filled part of the center shows no wet batter.
Step 5
Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Loosen the edge carefully, remove from the pan when stable enough, and cool at least another 15 minutes before slicing.
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