Makes: 8–10 servings
Pan: 9-inch (23 cm) round springform or tart pan
Bake: 175°C / 350°F
Ingredients
For the apples
4–5 medium apples, preferably Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon, optional
For the cake
115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
120 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
120 g (1 cup) almond flour
75 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
60 ml (¼ cup) milk
2 tbsp apricot jam or honey, optional
For the topping
40–50 g (⅓–½ cup) sliced almonds
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp melted butter
Powdered sugar, optional
Method
Prepare the pan.
Heat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Line a 9-inch round pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the sides.
Slice the apples.
Peel and core the apples. Slice them very thinly, about 2–3 mm thick. Toss with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Make the batter.
Beat the softened butter and sugar for 2–3 minutes until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk. Mix just until combined. Don’t overmix.
Build the cake.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Arrange the apple slices in overlapping concentric circles, starting around the outside and working toward the center. You can slightly fan each slice, as in the photo. Press them gently into the batter.
Mix the sliced almonds with the melted butter and 1 tbsp sugar. Scatter them generously over the apples.
Bake for 45–60 minutes, until the cake is deeply golden, the almonds are toasted, and a skewer inserted into the cakey portion comes out without wet batter. If the almonds brown too quickly, loosely cover the cake with foil.
Finish.
While the cake is warm, brush the surface with a little warmed apricot jam or honey for a glossy finish, if desired. Cool for at least 20–30 minutes before removing from the pan.
Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.
Tip: For the appearance in your photo, slice the apples very uniformly and keep them in overlapping rows rather than mixing them into the batter. The thinner the slices, the more beautifully they soften and form that fan-like pattern.
Serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or crème fraîche.