German Apple Cake

Nom! Nom! Nom!

One of the things I've really wanted to do with this book club/blog is to try foods that are mentioned in the books! That's what I call making reading interactive...and delicious!


There was actually a lot of different foods mentioned in Shannon Hale's The Goose Girl. I kept a list
as a read. Some things sounded much more delicious than other things. As delicious as bean and lard stew sounds, I decided to go with something else for my culinary experiment.

There was one food mentioned twice, and that was apple cake.

Seeing as the book is based off of a German fairy tale, I went in search of German apple cakes. There are many varieties, and I may try another one at some point just to compare. I wanted something more on the authentic side, and since the recipe sharer said her German mother used to make the recipe, I'm thinking I found a good option.

I followed the instructions almost exactly (I will elaborate in a moment). It ended up differently than I expected, but not in a bad way. Mostly just the texture and sweetness was different. Having been in Europe before and having desserts that are no where near as sweet as out desserts, I was surprised to find that this cake is indeed sweet. It's a bit firmer around the edges (although, that could just be because my timer mysteriously turned off, so I'm not actually sure how long I left it in the oven...not long enough to destroy it, and that's all that matters). The middle is soft and, I almost want to say, chewy. That with the apples and cinnamon make a pretty good combo.

My fellow destiny seekers lent a hand.

The Equipment:

The first thing you'll want to know is this lovely cake requires the use of a springform pan. The other equipment I used was a Kitchenaid mixer and one of these fancy schmancy apple corer, peeler, slicer machines of goodness. You may not actually want to use one of those fancy schmancy things and choose to do it by hand instead. Keep reading to find out why!

What I Did Differently:

This section seems to need bullet points! Make it so!

• I didn't use Granny Smith apples. This was mostly because I already had gala apples, and I was perhaps too lazy to go and buy some Granny Smiths. That being said, it still worked, but I think the Granny Smiths would be a nice touch as they are more tart than gala apples and would therefore create a beautiful balance between tart and sweet. 
• I used a fancy schmancy apple corer, peeler, slicer machine of goodness. The pro of this it that it takes care of all three steps in one! The con in this case is that you get very thin slices of apple. I ended up doubling up in layers of apple to make sure I had enough apple on there. If you compare my pictures with those in the original recipe you'll be able to see the difference. I think I may slice the apples by hand next time so I can get bigger chunks of apple.
• I didn't use shortening to grease the pan. Sure it's a little thing, but hey, I'm kind of anti shortening. I never use it when recipes call for it, and so far the recipes have turned out great. What I did in this case was sprayed it with some Pam and then dusted it with the flour. You could just use butter instead, or if you're not anti shortening, feel free to use that.
• I added a dollop of whipped cream to my piece. I couldn't resist.

Recipe Side Note:

Yes, I'm going to make you scroll all the way to the bottom to get to the recipe, but I want to make sure you read these notes for consideration before you actually get started. I've had to many times where I'm in the middle of the recipe and realize there were totally tips and tricks or important directions that I skipped over.

Here's your side note: this is a thick, sticky batter. You'll have to work it with a rubber spatula to
spread it evenly along the bottom of the pan. Also, it's not a very thick cake.

The Recipe:

Since I didn't change enough of this recipe to make it my own, just click here to be taken to the recipe.

Final Thoughts on the Recipe:

Judging by the fact that it disappeared withing a few days at my house, I'm taking it to mean that the recipe has earned a stamp of approval! I enjoyed the texture, and like I mentioned above, next time I'll make the apple slices bigger.

Now it's your turn! Make this cake for yourself and share pictures and impressions. Is there anything you would change about the recipe?