Apple cake for connoisseurs

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 500 g apples (baking apples), e.g. Elstar, Jonagold or similar.
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup water
• 3 tbsp sugar
• possibly Calvados or Grappa or almond liqueur
• 200 g sugar
• 250 g butter
• 3 eggs, separated
• 250 g flour
• 250 g cornstarch
• 1 tsp, heaped baking powder
• Lemon zest or lemon flavor
• 300 g marzipan
• 1 pack of puff pastry from the refrigerated section
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbsp milk

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Don’t cut the pieces too large—the cake will add a little extra weight and will fill you up. Makes 16 pieces

Use a round springform pan with a plain base for baking. Use the base as a template. Roll out the marzipan into a sheet the size of the cake pan. Cover with foil and set aside. Cut a sheet of puff pastry the same size as the marzipan sheet, and set it aside, also covered. Clean the bottom of the cake pan, reassemble the pan, and line it with parchment paper. Use the first five ingredients for the apple filling. Peel, core, and dice the apples into medium-sized pieces, and mix with a little lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bring 1/2 cup of water with 3 tablespoons of sugar to a boil, add the pre-marinated apple pieces and the cinnamon. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, adding a little more water if necessary. If no kids are nibbling, you can “perfume” the filling with a little Calvados, grappa, or almond liqueur – use only a little, otherwise the cake will mushy. The apples should be soft and sit in a little syrup. Allow the apple mixture to cool slightly. Now prepare the batter. A baking mix can also be used here. Beat the egg yolks, butter, and sugar until fluffy. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder, then gradually stir into the egg yolk, butter, and sugar mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the batter. Season the batter with lemon zest or lemon flavoring. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (top/bottom heat) for 40 minutes. If using a ready-made mix, bake for 10 minutes less than specified. Remove from the oven, pierce the cake surface (which may be very domed) several times with a skewer to help it sink, and allow to cool slightly. Set the oven to 200°C. Mix the egg yolks and milk. Place the marzipan sheet on top of the pre-baked cake. Pour the apple filling onto the marzipan sheet and spread evenly. Now place the puff pastry sheet on top of the apple filling. Carefully press the edges of the puff pastry sheet down, brush the surface with the egg yolk and milk mixture, and bake at 200°C (top/bottom heat) for about 15-20 minutes, until the puff pastry is a delicious golden brown. Caution: This cake is very rich! It tastes especially delicious warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream, but it does have a certain amount of “love handles.” Tip: The filling can be varied. We also like apple and poppy seed mixtures. Just get creative and experiment.