The Apple Cake Collection

Ingredients: Filling: 75 g sugar 1 tbsp untreated lemon peel 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 cinnamon stick 500 g sour apples Dough: 200 g butter 150 g sugar 4 eggs 1 tbsp untreated lemon peel 200 g flour fat and 2 tbsp breadcrumbs for the form 2 tbsp powdered sugar to dust Preparation: 1. Boil 200 ml water with sugar, lemon, lemon zest and cinnamon stick and switch off the stove. 2. Slice the apples and add to the lemon stock. 3. Bring to the boil and simmer covered for 2 minutes and then let cool. 4. Mix the butter and sugar until frothy. 5. Add eggs and lemon zest and finally mix in the flour. 6. Preheat the oven to 175°C. 7. Grease springform and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. 8. Smooth out half of the dough in the form. 9. Drain the apples and spread them on the dough without cinnamon stick. 10. Spread the rest of the dough over it. 11. Bake the cake on the bottom shelf for about 40 minutes. 12. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Source of recipe: Sent

Ingredients: Dough: 1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 cups flour 1 cup crushed walnuts Filling: 3/4 cup applesauce chocolate icing (eg. 8 tbsp icing sugar, 4 tbsp cocoa, 8 tbsp softened butter, a little vanilla) Preparation: 1. Beat together butter, sugar and egg in a large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. 2. Stir in lemon juice alternately with flour and walnuts. 3. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. 4. Divide dough into 4 balls and flatten each to a 9'' circle. 5. Bake on greased pie dishes at 350°F for 20 minutes. 6. When cool, assemble: torte layer, applesauce, torte layer, chocolate, torte layer, applesauce, torte layer, chocolate. Source of Recipe: Sent in by Doreen via Postcrossing

Ingredients: 250 g flour 1 tsp baking powder 125 g margarine 225 g sugar 1 pinch of salt 1 egg 1 kg apples 100 g butter 1 package vanilla sugar 6 tbsp cream 125 g almond flakes Preparation: 1. Mix flour, baking powder, margarine, 75 g sugar, a pinch of salt and egg into a dough and put into a springform. 2. Slice apples into small pieces and spread on the dough. 3. Melt butter, add 150 g sugar, vanilla sugar, cream and almond flakes and spread over the apple filling. 4. Bake at 170°C for ca. 1 hour. Source of Recipe: Sent in by Ina via Postcrossing

Ingredients: 110 g caster sugar 55 g butter 1 egg 110 g self-raising flour 1/2 tsp mixed spice  110 g currants 110 g sultanas 30 g mixed peel 110 g grated apple Preparation: 1. Beat together butter and sugar, followed by egg. 2. Combine dry ingredients, and fold into creamed mixture, along with apple. 3. Put into a greased and lined 20 cm round tin and smooth over top. 4. Bake at 180°C for about one hour, until browned and shrinking from edge of tin. Equally good cold as a cake or warm as a dessert with whipped cream. Serves 8. Source of Recipe: Sent in by Serena via Postcrossing

1. Creaming butter and sugar is a highly important baking step that people like to skimp on. 2. After baking, insert a long wooden skewer into the center-most part of the cake. If it comes out clean, turn off the oven and cool the cake on the counter. 3. Don’t overbake. 4. Use cooled baking sheets. 5. A combination of Baking Soda and Baking Powder is usually your best bet. 6. Invest in quality bakeware. 7. Toasting nuts. 8. Don’t over fill your pans. 9. The best chocolate contains only cocoa butter and no other fats. 10. When adding melted chocolate to a recipe, remember you are adding extra density and fat.