Rustic Apple Cake

Name: Rustic Apple Cake
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 80 min
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: butter — 200 g; sugar — 120 g; egg yolks — 3 pcs; all-purpose flour — 350 g; baking powder — 1/2 tsp; apples — 800 g; sugar — 100 g; water — 100 ml; ground cinnamon — 1/2 tsp

80 minutes

Medium

This marvelous apple cake is different from traditional apple pies and coffee cakes. Two layers of sweet, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread dough enclose a soft applesauce filling.

It's so delicious that you probably won't have to worry about storing it — you'll eat it all at once! If you do have leftovers, though, it's best to store them in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container. It keeps beautifully for up to five days.

Baking European cuisine Slavic cuisine

15.10.2025

Ingredients for 24*24 cm baking pan:

Dough

butter
200 g
sugar
120 g
egg yolks
3 pcs
all-purpose flour
350 g
baking powder
1/2 tsp

Filling

apples
800 g
sugar
100 g
water
100 ml
ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp

Recipe:

Ingredient Notes:

Flour. As with any shortbread dough, it is best to use weak all-purpose flour with a protein content of about 10%, or even cake flour.
Butter. For this recipe, the ideal fat content of butter is 82.5%. The minimum is 72%. In this case, the dough will be less flaky and more uniform. This is generally acceptable.
Sugar. For this recipe, it is better to use a finer sugar because it dissolves faster and more completely in the dough. You can also use brown sugar for the filling to give the cake a light caramel flavor.
Yolks. For the dough, it is better to use yolks than whole eggs. Using only yolks makes the shortbread base more tender and melt-in-your-mouth. The whites make the baked dough stiffer.
Apples. Apples with a looser texture are best for the filling because they become very soft when heated. Dense apples, such as Granny Smith, are not suitable for this recipe.
Alternatively, you can use pre-made applesauce for the filling.
Cinnamon. I highly recommend not skipping this ingredient, as it gives the cake a special, spicy flavor.

Let’s start cooking!

Prepare the filling. Peel the apples and remove the cores. Cut them into small pieces and place them in a saucepan.

Add cinnamon, sugar, and water. Put the saucepan on the stove. Cook over medium heat until the apples begin to soften, about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Make the dough.

Beat the butter with the sugar and salt until creamy.

Add the egg yolks and beat again. Add the sifted flour and baking powder, and knead into a soft dough.

Divide the dough into two parts. Form each part into a disk and freeze for 20-30 minutes. The dough should be firm enough to grate.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Grate half of the dough into the bottom of the pan.

Press it down.

Add the apple mixture and spread it out.

Grate the remaining dough on top.

Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 180°C (355°F) for 40 minutes, or until golden.

Let the cake cool right in the pan. Then, take it out, slice it, and serve.

Enjoy!

This Rustic Apple Cake recipe was checked, prepared and approved by Chef Tatyana Nazaruk - author of FlavorIt.com.
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