Sunken Apple Cake One Of Germany’s Favorite Desserts

For the whipped topping ( or schlagsahne if you speak German) you will need:

2 cups cold heavy cream
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Once you have that you can begin making this dessert. You can always make the whipped topping ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 1hr giving you time to make the cake ensuring that both are ready at the same time. A slight chill on a warm piece of cake also adds a nice texture to the cake eating experience.

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper; set aside.

Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Thinly slice each quarter lengthwise without cutting all the way through to the core side, leaving the quarter hinged together. Finely grate the zest of the lemon into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and set aside; save the lemon half.

Place the sugar and butter in the bowl with the lemon zest and beat until light and fluffy. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides; add the vanilla extract and 1 of the eggs. Beat until combined before adding the second egg. Beat until combined and then add the third egg. Scrape down the sides. Beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture until just combined, and beat in the juice from the reserved lemon half. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and give the batter one last mix by hand.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Gently press the apple quarters into the batter, core-side down, leaving only a bit of space between each quarter. If you have any apple left over, break off slices and insert them into any open space available. Sprinkle the top evenly with the demerara sugar.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the cake is golden-brown and a tester inserted into the cake (not apple) comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Place the pan on a rack to cool for 5 minutes before running a knife around the edge and removing the springform ring. Let cool to room temperature.

When ready to serve, make the whipped cream: place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (Alternatively, use a large bowl and hand mixer.) Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Serve the cake at room temperature with a spoonful of the whipped cream.

Now you are ready to enjoy. At this point, you should be ready to dig in as your house now smells of wonderfully sweet apples and vanilla. Keep in mind you will want to eat this quickly. If there are leftovers store them at room temperature, wrapped in plastic for up to two days.

Have you made this cake before? Are there any tips or tricks that you have for us? If so let us know in the comments below.

Recipe Station