When you bring home a crate full of fragrant apples from the garden or cellar and crave a hearty, warming, and truly unforgettable dessert, there’s no need for lengthy cooking in several pots. Forget about boring cakes – this apple dream traybake with moist egg yolk batter, stewed apples with breadcrumbs, and a crispy coconut meringue topping is an absolute hit that will disappear from the table in no time. The secret to success lies in pre-stewing the apples so they don’t release too much juice, and in baking the cake in two stages.
What you’ll need for a large baking tray (approx. 36 x 25 cm):
For the moist egg yolk batter:
- Semi-coarse flour: 300 g
- Butter: 200 g (softened to room temperature)
- Icing sugar: 200 g
- Whole milk: 200 ml
- Egg yolks: 5 pcs
- Baking powder: 1/2 packet
For the generous apple layer:
- Fresh apples: 2 kg (peeled and cored)
- Granulated sugar: 3 tablespoons (adjust according to the tartness of the apples)
- Vanilla sugar: 2 packets
- Breadcrumbs: 3 tablespoons (to thicken and absorb moisture)
For the fluffy coconut meringue topping:
- Egg whites: 5 pcs
- Granulated sugar: 150 g
- Desiccated coconut: 100 g
Step-by-step preparation:
1. Preparing the apple filling: Grate the peeled apples coarsely. Place them in a wide pot, add the granulated sugar, and stew for a while, stirring occasionally, until they soften and lose excess water. This step is crucial so the apples form a compact layer in the cake and don’t soak the batter. Towards the end, stir in the vanilla sugar and breadcrumbs to absorb any remaining moisture. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Whipping up the moist batter: In a clean bowl, cream the softened butter with the icing sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the egg yolks – one at a time, mixing each in well. Then alternately add lukewarm milk and the semi-coarse flour sifted with baking powder. Spread the resulting smooth batter evenly onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
3. First stage of baking the base: Place the tray with the batter into an oven preheated to 180°C and bake for about 20 minutes, until the surface is slightly set and just starting to color.
4. Adding the apples and coconut meringue: While the base is baking, in a clean bowl, whip the egg whites and granulated sugar into a stiff and glossy meringue. Finally, gently fold in the desiccated coconut with a spatula. After 20 minutes, remove the tray from the oven, spread the prepared stewed apples evenly over the pre-baked base, and layer the coconut meringue on top.
5. Final baking and cooling: Return the cake to the oven for another 15 minutes, until the coconut meringue topping is lightly golden on the surface. Before slicing, let the apple dream cool completely at room temperature so the layers settle nicely and the slices hold their shape.
Proven tips for the best result:
- Pre-stewing the apples: Stewing the grated apples with sugar and breadcrumbs prevents too much liquid from seeping into the sponge base.
- Working with meringue and coconut: Always fold the coconut gently into the whipped egg whites with a spatula so the meringue stays fluffy and the topping light.
- Thorough cooling: Let the cake cool completely before cutting – warm apple layers could slide apart when portioning.
