The original recipe calls for a tablespoon of Calvados, but who has that on hand? The substitutes are apple brandy or white rum. I had white rum so I made that the primary and the others the subs. It’s a pain to remove the cake from the bottom of the pan, so just leave it on for serving, unless you really need to reuse the springform pan right away.
My first attempt at making this did not turn out perfectly. The top spread didn’t spread over the whole surface, but it still tasted great. The hardest thing about making this is pealing the grannies. Everything else is a snap. It’s a delicious dessert, not nearly as sweet as you might expect, a little crunchy, a little custardy, a little cakey. And with all those apples, it must be nutritious too. Right?
| 1½ pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced ⅛ inch thick crosswise • 1 tablespoon white rum (or Calvados or apple brandy) • 1 teaspoon lemon juice • 1 cup (5 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all- purpose flour • 1 cup (7 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar • 2 teaspoons baking powder • ½ teaspoon salt • 1 large egg plus 2 large yolks • 1 cup vegetable oil • 1 cup whole milk • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • Confectioners’ sugar |
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Place prepared pan on rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place apple slices in microwave-safe pie plate, cover, and microwave until apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Toss apple slices with Calvados and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes. 2. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk egg, oil, milk, and vanilla together in second bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Transfer 1 cup batter to separate bowl and set aside. 3. Add egg yolks to remaining batter and whisk to combine. Using spatula, gently fold in cooled apples. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges, gently pressing on apples to create even, compact layer, and smooth surface. 4. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons flour into reserved batter. Pour over batter in pan and spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar over cake. 5. Bake until center of cake is set, toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and top is golden brown, about 1¼ hours. Let cool for 5 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Release the springform pan, dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar, cut into wedges, and serve. |
