Prep Time: 20 minutesBake Time: 60-70 minutes
Grade: B
Make Again: Maybe with changes
Recipe Source: The Italian Country Table
Oh boy, I had a lot of trouble with this one. I was really intrigued by this recipe, because it cuts butter into some flour and sugar, then makes a very thin crust in springform pan with some of it. Then you take the rest of that mixture and mix in eggs, milk, etc, and then the apples. So you end up with a buttery crust for the cake.
The trouble began when the crumbs didn't really stick together well, but I did my best to press them into the pan. I made the cake and put it in. However, about 30 minutes into the bake, I noticed a smell. I looked in the oven and noticed pools of butter in the bottom of my oven. It was leaking out of the spring form pan. :-( I worried that it might catch on fire, so I decided to sop it up with a paper towel and tongs. Which, unfortunately, touched the electric coil, and proceeded to catch on fire! I turned the water on in my sink, and was able to get it under control, thankfully.
I turned the oven off, and let it cool a bit, then tried again. So, there was about 10 minutes where the cake was out of the oven. I turned it back on and tried to finish it. I think it mostly baked through OK.
In the end, it wasn't bad, but not exactly my favorite. I love spicy apple cakes, and this doesn't really have any spice, so I guess it disappointed me a little. I did like the crusty part though. So I might have to try it again with some spices and possibly a more tart apple. It is a unique idea, and I'm not ready to give up on it yet.
I should mention, you are supposed to add a meringue topping, but I decided to skip that part.
