Author Notes
Yes, there's a sibling recipe to this one. Mrs. Shunke's Kuchen had been enjoyed by my family for decades, but I wanted to put a more contemporary spin on the original, so I came up with this. Thinly sliced peaches, nectarines, or plums can be substituted for the apples. Make them both and decide for yourself! —Windischgirl
Ingredients
-
4
Large eggs, at room temperature
-
2/3 cup
Granulated sugar
-
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
3/4 cup
All-purpose flour
-
1/4 cup
whole wheat flour
-
1/2 cup
Extra-virgin olive oil--pick a flavorful one
-
2-4
Apples, cored and thinly sliced into wedges
-
Dash
Ground cinnamon
Directions
-
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour your baking pan. I prefer a quarter-sheet pan (12 x18 inches), but if you prefer a greater cake-to- fruit ratio, use a 13x9 pan and allow for extra baking time.
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Start at low speed and gradually increase the mixing speed to 8 and beat the mixture for 6 minutes. The eggs will triple in volume and turn a pale, creamy yellow. Meanwhile, whisk together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours in a bowl, until well-blended.
-
Turn off the mixer and replace the whisk attachment with the blade attachment. With the mixer on lowest speed, add the flour gradually, a few tablespoons at a time, until just combined. Turn off the machine, scrape down the sides, and briefly mix to incorporate, about 30 sec.
-
With the mixer on lowest speed, add the olive oil in a stream until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, gently easing the batter into the corners. The batter will be bubbly.
-
Gently lay the apple slices on the batter in a decorative manner, covering as much of the batter as possible; I tend to do close alternating rows resembling a chevron pattern. Dust lightly with cinnamon.
-
Bake the Kuchen for 20-25 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Let the cake cool briefly before cutting into 3 inch squares for serving. This cake is best eaten the day it's made.
See what other Food52ers are saying.