TART APPLE CAKE

I found this recipe in Saveur magazine a few months ago and finally got around to trying it yesterday.  It comes from a food blogger named Molly Wizenberg, whom I had read in Gourmet before that magazine bit the dust.  If you're interested, her blog is called Orangette, at this website,http://orangette.blogspot.com

This is a very interesting "cake" because it essentially has a crust on the bottom and an egg and sugar topping poured over the apples late in the baking.  We all agreed that we loved the flavor, and the chewiness of the "crust" edges.  Also, very easy to make.  When I looked it up on her blog today, she calls it an Apple Tart Cake, which is a better description of it.  If anything, it tasted even better today after sitting for a day.  But, alas, now it's gone...

Tart Apple Cake

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and chilled, plus more for the pan
1 cup AP flour, plus more for pan
1 cup Superfine sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature
3 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, and thinly sliced

6 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup Superfine sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I used Penzey's Vietnamese)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

I've learned to tap out the flour over the trash can rather than the sink...eliminates cleanup.

In a food processor, pulse 5 Tbsp butter, flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into pea-size crumbles.  Add vanilla and 1 egg; 

mix until a soft, sticky dough forms.

Add to prepared pan,

dip your fingers in flour, and press dough evenly into bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan.

Arrange the apple slices in a tight circular pattern, overlapping, and pressing slightly into dough.

Bake until apples are tender and dough is almost cooked through, 35-40 minutes.  I found that I needed 40 minutes for the dough to cook in the middle.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 6 Tbsp butter in a bowl; whisk in 1/3 cups sugar and 2 eggs, plus cinnamon.

Remove cake from oven and pour butter mixture evenly over apples.

 Bake until top is browned and set 12-15 minutes more.

Transfer to a wire rack until cool; remove from pan, cut into slices and serve with vanilla ice cream, if you like.  We had some salted caramel gelato in the freezer, so used that.