A delightfully easy snacking cake that comes out of the oven with a bit of crunch and chewiness (think frangipane texture) on the top and edges where the batter meets the pan. As time passes, it becomes more moist and slightly custardy. Fans of thinly sliced blush pink apples add color and flavor.
4medium apples (I used the pink Mountain Rose variety)
¼cup (31g)powdered sugar, for dusting on baked cake
Instructions
Place a rack in the center of the oven. Preaheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 c, Gas Number 4).
Line the bottom of a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan with a circle of parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan with butter.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade, add the almond flour, 1 cup of granulated sugar, salt, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Pulse until completely combined. Scrape down the sides if the extract causes any clumping.
Add the butter and eggs, and process until smooth and no butter pieces are visible.
Add the flour and baking powder, and process minimally - just until flour mixture is incorporated. Feel free to use a spatula to fold in any last flour bits at the end in order to avoid overmixing. Pour batter into prepared springform pan and smooth flat.
Peel and core the apples. Slice each apple in half from top to bottom. Place each half flat side down (core side against the countertop) and cut thin slices crosswise, keeping the half together after slicing. Note: if you slice top to bottom, the center slices will collapse where the core has been removed and your apples will display unevenly.
Keeping each sliced half together, place a half apple onto the batter. I arranged one in the center and spaced the other seven evenly around it.
Sprinkle the tablespoon of granulated sugar over the top of the batter and apples. Bake on the center rack for 80-85 minutes - until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the batter near the center apple comes out without crumbs. (Yes, you read that baking time right. This is an incredibly moist cake to begin with, and the addition of raw apples slows the baking time). If you are at all nervous, start testing the cake every 10 minutes when you hit the hour mark.
Cool on a rack. Place powdered sugar into a sieve and dust top of cake with desired amount for decoration.