This is a version of Thomas Keller's Apple Kuchen.
It is very similar to my mother's "Lightning" cake...lightning refers to the speed of preparation!
You can cut the apples as thin as you like but if you want to keep the preparation time to "lightning" speed then just slice the apples in half and then each half into thirds.
So easy and incredibly delicious!
p.s See bottom pictures for my son's apple swan...love it! :)
Apple "Lightning" Cake
adaptation of Thomas Keller's Apple Kuchen
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted
butter, at room temperature, plus butter for the baking pan
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup milk (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 mediums size Granny Smith or Golden Delicious
apples
Cinnamon sugar: 2 tablespoons sugar
mixed with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter
a 9-inch round cake pan and line bottom with circle of parchment.
Prepare cinnamon sugar and set
aside.
Peel and core apples. Slice them in
half and then each half into thirds.
In a small bowl, combine the flour,
baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
Combine vanilla with milk.
In a mixer bowl or by hand in a
large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix thoroughly to combine.
Add dry ingredients and the milk
alternately to the butter mixture. Do not overbeat; mix just until the
ingredients are combined.
Spoon the batter into the pan. Press apple slices into the batter, working
in a circular pattern around the outside edge. Sprinkle top with the cinnamon
sugar.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until
a cake tester or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Set on a rack to cool for about 10 minutes.
Run a knife around the edge to release cake and invert onto plate. Peel off parchment and invert again so apples
are right side up!
