German apple cake

Ingredients

For the apple cake

• 175g/6oz unsalted butter
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 675g/1½ lb Bramley apples, cored and sliced
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 200g/7oz plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 150g pot soured cream

For the topping

• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
• 50g/2oz soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 75g/3oz plain flour
• 50g/2oz toasted flaked almonds

Method

This moist cake is brimming with apple fruitiness all topped off with a crisp almond crumble topping. It’s more of a dessert than a teatime bake - serve it warm with cream.

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/ 350°F/Gas Mark 4. Lightly oil and line a 20cm spring form tin with baking parchment. Melt 25g of the butter and sugar together in a large frying pan. Add the Bramley apple slices and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the apples are tender. Leave to cool.

2. Make the crumble topping, melt the butter and stir in remaining ingredients.

3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy then gradually add the eggs, beating well between additions. Sift over the flour and baking powder then gently fold into the mixture with the soured cream.

4. Spoon two thirds of the cake mixture over the base of the tin, scatter over a third of the crumble mixture and top with the remaining cake mixture. Finally, scatter over the Bramley apples and remaining crumble mixture. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a plate. Serve warm in wedges with more sour cream if desired.

Our thanks to Bramley Apples for providing this recipe.

Visit our apple section for more delicious recipes for cakes and desserts