Delicate buttery pastry, fragrant apples with cinnamon, and smooth vanilla custard form three delicious layers of this homemade cake. The surface turns beautifully golden during baking, while the fruit filling stays pleasantly juicy.
A simple trick with frozen dough makes preparation easier—you don’t have to roll it out, just grate it directly into the pan. This cake is perfect with coffee or as a sweet treat for guests, and before serving, just lightly dust it with powdered sugar.
What You’ll Need
For the delicate pastry:
- 200 g butter,
- 350 g wheat flour,
- 80 g powdered sugar,
- 1 egg,
- 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder.
For the custard layer:
- 2 packets vanilla custard powder,
- 1,000 ml milk.
For the apple filling and finishing:
- 1.5 kg apples,
- 1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon,
- powdered sugar for dusting.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the delicate pastry: Sift the wheat flour onto your work surface. Add cold butter cut into small pieces, 80 g powdered sugar, and baking powder. First, chop everything together with a knife so the butter doesn’t warm up unnecessarily.
2. Kneading and freezing: Work the egg into the prepared mixture and knead the dough until it is smooth and cohesive. Shape it into a ball, divide it into two parts, and wrap each separately in plastic wrap. Place both halves in the freezer.
3. Cooking the custard: Prepare the custard from both packets of vanilla custard powder and 1,000 ml milk, following the instructions on the package. Set the finished custard aside, ready for layering the cake.
4. Preparing the apples: Peel the apples, cut them into quarters, and remove the cores. Then cut them into smaller pieces, transfer to a pot, and add a heaping teaspoon of cinnamon.
5. Stewing the apples: Cover the pot with a lid and cook the apples for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally during cooking to ensure even heating and to prevent sticking to the bottom.
6. Preparing the bottom layer: Line a 24 × 24 cm baking pan with parchment paper. Take one half of the dough from the freezer, grate it evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan, and gently smooth out the layer.
7. Layering the filling: Spread the stewed apples with cinnamon over the grated dough. Cover the apple layer with the prepared vanilla custard and gently even out the surface so the cake is roughly the same height everywhere.
8. Finishing the top: Take the second half of the dough from the freezer. Grate it directly over the custard layer and spread it across the entire surface to create an even, delicate top.
9. Baking: Place the cake in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F). Bake for 50 minutes, until the surface is golden.
10. Finishing and serving: Remove the baked cake from the oven and dust with powdered sugar before serving. Then cut it into portions, making sure each piece clearly shows the layers of pastry, apples, and custard.
Why Freeze the Dough Before Grating
Chilled and firm dough is much easier to grate than freshly kneaded dough. This allows you to create an even bottom base and a crumbly top layer without rolling. The dough doesn’t warm up unnecessarily during handling, which helps keep its delicate texture.
How to Layer the Cake Properly
First, spread the stewed apples over the grated bottom pastry, then add the custard. Spread the layers gently so they don’t mix together too much. Grate the second half of the dough at the very end, directly over the pan, to easily cover the entire surface.
Final Tip
When preparing the apples, remember to stir them occasionally during the ten-minute stewing under the lid. Bake the cake until golden and dust with powdered sugar only before serving, so it creates a fine sweet finish on top.
