German Apple Cake

One thing I've learned over the years while being married to a German is that they really know how to bake delicious cakes! I enjoy looking for German cake recipes online, or asking my mother-in-law for her famous cake recipes that everybody loves. It's something really special for me to make something for my husband that reminds him of home and that he will enjoy - especially when he's homesick! I tried this recipe for German apple cake for the first time yesterday and I was so happy with how it turned out! I couldn't get over how incredibly easy and simple this cake was to throw together - but yet it had a special look to it and tasted delicious! I got this recipe from marthastewart.com and I loved that it had a video to watch on how to prepare it. You guys should really check it out!

http://www.marthastewart.com/343813/german-apple-cake

I only had a few apples on hand so I was searching for a recipe that didn't need more than 3 - which was definitely a challenge! Most recipes call for 6-8 apples, so I almost gave up on baking with them yesterday. I was pretty thrilled when I saw that this recipe called for 3-4 apples! The best thing about this cake is you can use so many different fruits - I think next time I'll try it with pears! 

If you'd like to give this cake a try, here are the simple ingredients you'll need to get started:

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of salt

8 Tbsp of unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)

1 1/3 cups of sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tsp of cinnamon

Juice of 1/2 lemon 

3-4 tart apples

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square pan and line with parchment paper. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. 

4. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. 

5. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan.

6. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar with the cinnamon. Squeeze lemon juice into a medium bowl. Peel, core, and slice the apples into the bowl. Add the cinnamon - sugar mixture and toss to thoroughly coat each apple slice. 

7. Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter. 

8. Bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before serving. 

I served our cake with fresh whipped cream and it was divine! I'm sure it would be good with a little sprinkle of icing sugar on top, or even better - Ice cream!

Happy Baking Everyone!