Old Berlin Apple Cake

Altberliner Apfelkuchen
Apple cake recipe with rum and raisins from Germany's capital city of Old Berlin.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Berlin
Region Berlin
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 14 tbsp butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 cups wheat flour
  • grated zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 2.2 lb apples
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 2 tbsp rum
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200° C).
  • Beat 1 cup of sugar with butter until fluffy, and then stir in two eggs. Gradually mix in the flour and the lemon peel.
  • Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in foil and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Peel and quarter the apples and remove the seeds. Cut into slices and drizzle with lemon juice.
  • Soak the raisins in the alcohol.
  • Roll out 2/3 of the dough thinly on a floured surface and place in a greased springform pan (10" or 26 cm diameter). Press the edges up part way up the sides.
  • Distribute the apple slices on the dough, overlapping one another. Spread the raisins and the remaining sugar over the apple slices.
  • Roll out the remaining 1/3 of the dough and cut into strips about 3/8" or 1 cm wide. Place the strips to form a lattice on top of the apples.
  • Separate the remaining egg. Whisk the egg yolk and brush over the pastry lattice.
  • Bake the cake at 400°F (200° C) for about 45 minutes. Once the cake has cooled completely, dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
  • Preparation time: 35 minutes (plus baking and cooling time)