Apple Cake

Martina was my best friend when we were kids; her mother was from Italy and mine from Germany, so we both understood what it was like to be raised by women from a different culture who were warm, strict, and had high expectations for us. Also, Martina and I were super huge nerds who enrolled in French 101 at the community college for fun when we were 12 and then flaunted our newly acquired superiority (we thought) whenever we got the chance, which was mostly on the school bus. We would say things like, "il est très stupide" and think that we were so clever that the boy across the aisle would never be able to decipher the word "stupid". Le sigh. We definitely walked to our own beat, had the best time doing it, and were basically inseparable spending one day after school at Martina's and the next at mine and repeat.

Esther, Martina's mom, was an amazing cook and many were the day when we would open the front door to be greeted by the boisterous howl of their doberman, Argo (the sweetest dog who's bark was as big as his heart) and the gently simmering Italian aromas from her kitchen. Somehow, I would always find myself inching closer to the stove, "what are you making?", "how do you make that?", "what do you do after you cook the onions?". Much to my delight, Esther would always invite me in to learn. Her eyes would twinkle as she'd tell me about how her sister would make this recipe a certain way and how they'd eat it in Italy. She was so generous with her knowledge and taught me so much of what's become my foundation for cooking and I'll love her forever for that.

This apple cake was the first cake that I ever learned to make. Martina, her little sister Lorenza, and I were all gathered around Esther in the kitchen one sunny afternoon and we made this cake together. Gradually, the entire house filled with the warmth of that baking cake, bathing our merry group in the sweet perfume of butter browning with cinnamon and lemon. It was love at first bite. A faint puff of steam rose from the pillow of moist apple shrouded in fluffy cake trembling on the edge of my fork. Every time I make this cake, I feel the sun warming the side of my face as the four of us giggled over the delight of eating that delicious, first cake and every time, it makes me smile.

APPLE CAKE RECIPE
yields one 9" cake with 12-16 slices

Preheat oven to 350°
Grease one 9" round springform pan, set on top of a sheet pan, and set aside
Sift together in a medium bowl:
1 1/2 c All Purpose Flour
1/2 c Spelt Flour
1 Tbs Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt

Melt in a small skillet or pot (stovetop) or bowl (microwave):
6 Tbs Unsalted Butter
When melted butter has cooled slightly, Add and stir to combine, then set aside:
2 tsp cardamom, ground
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
Zest of 1 lemon

Peel, quarter, core, and slice into 1/2-1 cm thick pieces (4-6 slices per quarter):
3 apples
In medium bowl, toss apples to fully coat with:
1/4 c sugar
juice of 1 lemon
Set aside a large handful of the macerated apples to decorate the top of the cake

In a large bowl, whisk together until sugar and yolks are fully incorporated:
3 egg yolks
3/4 c sugar
1 Tbs vanilla extract
Slowly whisk in:
1 1/4 c Half and Half
Add melted Butter
Slowly stir in flour mixture and fully incorporate
Fold in and fully combine:
3 egg whites, whipped to frothy in a separate bowl

Combine with macerated apples and fully combine

Pour into the greased springform pan
Arrange the apple slices in a circular pattern on top of the cake and sprinkle the entire surface with a bit of sugar (probably 1-2 Tbs worth)

Bake for 35-45 minutes, when the top springs back after a gentle press down and the cake tester comes out clean, you're good to go!

To serve, dust a bit of powdered sugar over the top, or drizzle with a quick caramel sauce. Serve just like that, or with a dollop of freshly-made lemon whipped cream on the side.

Enjoy!

** If you are sensitive to cardamom like Eric, you can omit it all together, or cut the quantity by half. Additionally, you can substitute the lemon zest fir orange zest.