Apfelrahmkuchen (apple cream cake)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Base
- 200 g flour rounded
- 60 g sugar rounded
- 1 g fine salt rounded
- 100 g cold butter, cubed rounded
- 1 egg rounded
Apples and cream custard
- 700 g apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced rounded
- 15 ml lemon juice rounded
- 3 eggs rounded
- 300 ml cream rounded
- 80 g sugar rounded
- 15 g cornstarch rounded
- 5 ml vanilla extract rounded
Method
Method
- Rub the cold butter into the flour, sugar and salt until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs, then work in the egg just until a dough forms. Press into the base of a 26 cm springform, about 3 cm up the sides, and chill for 20 minutes.
- Blind bake at 200°C for 12 minutes, until pale gold, then reduce the oven to 175°C.
- Toss the apple slices with the lemon juice to keep them from browning, then fan them over the base in overlapping circles.
- Whisk the eggs, cream, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla together until smooth, then pour evenly over the apples.
- Bake at 175°C for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set at the edges and still wobbles gently as one piece in the centre. Tent loosely with foil if the top browns before the centre sets.
- Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then chill at least 2 hours before releasing and slicing; the custard needs that time to firm up enough to hold a clean cut.
Notes
- The custard should still wobble when it comes out. A cake baked until completely firm and unmoving will have overbaked by the time it cools, and the texture turns rubbery rather than soft.
- Chill it properly before cutting. Sliced warm, the custard runs rather than holding its shape; cold, it cuts as cleanly as a cheesecake.
- Overlapping the apple slices thinly rather than laying them flat in a single layer lets the custard set between and around them properly, instead of pooling underneath a solid layer of fruit.
- It keeps for 3 days in the fridge, covered, and is very good cold straight from the fridge, unlike most cakes.
Ingredient substitutions
- A firm, tart apple like Elstar or Braeburn holds its slices better through baking than a very soft variety, which can collapse into the custard.
- Cream can be a mix of cream and full-fat milk for a slightly lighter custard, though it will set a little less richly.
- A dusting of cinnamon over the apples before the custard goes on is a common and pleasant addition.
- For a firmer, more quiche-like texture if that is preferred, extend the bake by 10 minutes past the wobble stage; the flavour holds up either way.