Deciding what to bake often balances my urge to try something new with the comfort of revisiting a favorite, occasionally with a small twist. A couple of years ago I made the Smitten Kitchen sunken apple and honey cake and was instantly smitten. That version riffs on the traditional German versunkener apfelkuchen (sunken apple cake), where apple halves are partially sliced—like hasselback potatoes—so their fan-like tops dot a lightly sweetened, airy batter. The effect is charming and playful, and I’m always drawn to a bit of whimsy.
Smitten Kitchen’s signature move was adding honey to the batter and finishing the cake with a salted honey glaze, which is delightful. I wanted to try replacing the honey with maple syrup, and that worked well, though both versions felt just a touch dry to me. This year I decided to address that by turning the cake into a maple-almond sunken apple cake: I swapped some flour for blanched almond meal, added a hint of almond extract, and sprinkled flaked almonds around the apple halves. The result is moister and offers extra depth from the almond-maple-apple combination.
I used the last of some pink-fleshed apples I found at a farmers’ market for the photos here, but any crisp, flavorful apple will work—choose small to medium specimens so they sit nicely on the cake. This cake is excellent with afternoon tea or coffee, makes a slightly indulgent breakfast, and serves as a not-too-sweet dessert.
Maple-Almond Sunken Apple Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
Dessert
maple almond, maple almond apple cake, sunken apple cake, versunkenerapfelkuchen
Ingredients
The apples:
-
4
smallish apples -
2
tbsp
lemon juice -
2
tbsp
sugar
The batter:
-
125
g
unsalted butter
at room temperature -
75
g
sugar -
1/4
c.
maple syrup
(preferably “robust” or “extra dark”) -
1/2
tsp
vanilla extract -
1/4
tsp
almond extract -
3
large eggs
separated -
1/4
tsp
table salt or fine sea salt -
2
tsp
baking powder
(preferably “aluminum free”) -
120
g
all-purpose flour -
30
g
blanched almond flour
To finish:
-
2-4
tbsp
flaked almonds - powdered sugar
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
-
Peel, halve, and core the apples. Place each half cut-side down and make parallel thin cuts halfway through—score the apple without slicing it into separate pieces. A chopstick or similar spacer can help prevent cutting all the way through. If a half does fall apart, simply nest the pieces together on the batter.
-
Toss the scored apple halves with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl.
-
Whisk together the all-purpose flour and blanched almond flour in a separate bowl and set aside.
-
Cream the butter and 75 g sugar with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Mix in the maple syrup, then beat in the egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract until combined. Sprinkle in the baking powder and salt and mix until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing until just combined.
-
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.
-
Fold one-quarter of the whipped egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites with a rubber spatula until just barely combined—small streaks of white are fine.
-
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange the apple halves over the batter; they will sink naturally as the cake bakes. If any sugary lemon juice remains in the apple bowl, drizzle it over the apples. Scatter the flaked almonds around the apples.
-
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
-
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. After 10–15 minutes you can release the springform, but wait until the cake is completely cool before transferring it to a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Recipe Notes
- I used pink-fleshed apples from a farmers’ market, but any crisp, flavorful variety that holds its shape when baked is suitable.
- Although the original recipe suggests very small apples, four small-to-medium apples (eight halves) fit well on this cake and give a pleasing apple-to-cake ratio.
- “Robust” or “extra dark” maple syrup (formerly called Grade B) provides a stronger maple flavor. Regular maple syrup works too but yields a milder maple taste.
- If you don’t have two sets of beaters, whisk the egg whites first with clean beaters and refrigerate them while you finish the batter using the same beaters—no need to wash in between.
- Some ovens vary: the original recipe lists 35–40 minutes, but I usually need 45–50 minutes. Begin checking at 35 minutes only if your oven runs hot; an underbaked cake will look pale and wobble slightly when you pull out the rack.
