German Apple Kuchen with Cream

Kuchen is a general name for German sweet cakes, with apple baking (Apfelkuchen) holding a special place among them, being very popular. Even when something goes wrong, Germans say der Kuchen ist angebrannt - meaning the cake is burnt. Apple pie is a widespread dish, with numerous recipes available, and in one form or another is present in almost all cuisines around the world. In Eastern Europe, it's known as 'apple sharlotka', in France 'Tarte Tatin', and also Viennese apple strudel, and so on. Each nationality has added its own touch to the pies (caramel, butter, nuts...), Germans mostly prefer to pair apple pie with almond shavings or a cream made of milk and butter. The cake usually gets topped with a milk sauce that's similar in consistency and taste to a custard cream but more liquid. Personally, I love apple pie very much, and if it's drizzled with warm creamy sauce... it's the ultimate delight!

For the dough:

Butter

6 tbsp

Sugar

3/4 cup +1 tbsp for sprinkling

Egg

Flour

1 3/4 cups

Baking powder

2 tsp

Salt

1/4 tsp

Nutmeg

1/4 tsp

Milk

1/2 cup

Apples

Cinnamon

1/2 tsp

For the cream:

Milk

2 cups + 2 tbsp

Sugar

1/2 cup

Butter

1/2 cup

Egg

Flour

1 tbsp

To prepare the German Apple Kuchen with Cream, thoroughly mix eggs, butter, and sugar until the mixture whitens.

Then add the flour mixed with baking powder, salt, nutmeg to the egg mixture. Lastly, pour in the milk and mix everything until smooth.

Peel and core the apples. Slice them thinly.

Take a 8-9 inch diameter pan, grease it with butter, and sprinkle bread crumbs. Spread the dough in the prepared pan, level it, and lay out the apples in any order.

Mix 1 tbsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Sprinkle the pie with this mixture and place it in an oven preheated to 350°F for 30-40 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick.

For the cream, heat the milk. In a separate saucepan, whisk the egg with sugar, add flour, mix thoroughly. Pour in the hot milk, add butter, and place on heat, stirring constantly. Once the cream starts to thicken slightly, it's ready.