Apfel Sahne Torte - Apple Cream Cake - Foodie Friday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you're here because you love to look, or you're here because you love to cook, I think this torte will delight you. I first had this confection as a child. Hannie made a version of Apple Cream Cake for Oktoberfest and again at Christmas for a vigil feast which was part of her holiday celebration. I still remember singing, "Ihr Kinderlein, Kommet, O kommet doch all!" while clustered around the piano in her front room on Christmas Eve. It's a lovely memory, triggered, strangely, by a recipe. That happens here a lot. Unlike Proust, I have many memories of things past. Oktoberfest, at least in Munich, ends on Sunday, so I thought this would be a great way to end the series of recipes we put together for the celebration. I must tell you that this is not a quick dessert. It's not hard to do, but there are several steps required to assemble it. The most time consuming is making applesauce to fill the layers of the torte. I can make this step instantly easier for you. If you don't want to make applesauce, buy a quart jar of the unsweetened variety and proceed with the recipe, adding sugar and flavorings, as though it were your own. Keep in mind that the torte is about apples, so get the best you can buy if you take that route. While I don't recommend it, you can also use whipped topping instead of whipped cream. You can also omit the rum if you must, but that would really be a shame. You'll want to make the torte a day before you plan to serve it, so the cake layers can begin to absorb the applesauce and cream. The layers are very thin. If you're adventurous or enjoy European, not too sweet, desserts you'll love this torte. Here's the recipe.

Apfel Sahne Torte - Apple Cream Cake ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Cake Layer
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large eggs,separated and at room temperature
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup dark rum (for brushing layers)
Applesauce
10-15 apples, peeled, cored, cut into chunks or 1 quart unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons rum or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
Frosting
1 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided use
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
Cake Layer
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fit a 9-inch circle of waxed or parchment paper into a greased and floured 9-inch springform pan. Grease and flour paper. Set aside.
2) Combine flour, baking powder and cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
3) In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with water. Add 1/3 cup of sugar and the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until frothy and lemon colored.
4) In a separate small bowl, beat egg whites with remaining sugar until stiff but not dry. Fold into yolk mixture. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Scrape into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Applesauce
5) If using fresh apples, place apple chunks into a 3-quart saucepan and cook until very soft. Mash. If using prepared applesauce, place into saucepan and warm. Add sugar, rum or vanilla extract and lemon zest. Cook until mixture mounds in a spoon.
6) Soften gelatin in cold water. Place into a pan of simmering water and stir to dissolve. Stir gelatin into applesauce. Set aside to cool. Applesauce will thicken quickly in refrigerator.
Frosting
7) Combine almonds, 1 tablespoon sugar and butter in a nonstick frying pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until almonds turn a golden brown. Transfer to paper toweling to cool.
8) Soften gelatin in milk. Place in pan of simmering water and stir to dissolve. Cool.
9) Whip cream with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until it begins to thicken. Add gelatin and continue beating until soft peaks form.
Assembly
10) Remove cake from pan; split horizontally into two layers. Brush each layer with 2 tablespoons rum. Transfer one layer to a cake plate. Mound applesauce on top of layer. Cover with remaining layer and pat down to evenly distribute applesauce.
11) Generously frost top and sides of cake with whipped cream. If desired reserve some cream for decorating top of cake.
12) Pat almonds around sides and sprinkle on top of cake. Refrigerate overnight before serving. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday