This cake is exactly that, almost all apples surrounded by the smallest amount of batter. When cooked the apples (or pears, you can use pears instead!) soften and the whole cake is moist and tender and is great with afternoon tea, or with some whipped topping it is delicious for dessert as well.

It is pretty much verbatim taken from the King Arthur Baking page. The only things I have done are back off on the sugar and increase slightly the almond flour to regular flour ratio.

Ingredients

For the pan

  • 1/2 tablespoon butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup (30g) slivered almonds, optional - I just used the food processor to "slice" or chop our almonds, and it was just fine in this recipe

Cake

  • 2/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 apples, or pears peeled and sliced about 1/4" thick (4 1/2 cups or 550g)

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  

    2. Lightly grease the bottom of an 8" or 9" spring-form or round cake pan (this will help the parchment adhere), then line the bottom with a circle of parchment. Generously butter the parchment and sides of the pan with the softened butter. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds, a bit at a time, pressing gently to adhere them to the pan. Your coating won’t be perfectly even, and that’s OK. 

    3. Measure your flours by gently spooning into a cup, then sweep off any excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt.  

    4. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, sugar, and extract until creamy, lighter in colour, and slightly foamy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in the dry ingredients until just combined. 

    5. Use a rubber spatula to fold the apples into the batter until evenly coated. (It will look like there isn’t much batter, but don’t panic.) 

    6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and use your spatula to nudge the apples into a mostly-even layer.

    7. Bake until golden-brown on top and a toothpick or paring knife inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes.

    8. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Run a paring knife around the edges of pan, then, if using a springform, release sides of pan; or, if using a cake pan, invert it onto a rack or plate, remove the parchment, and turn it back over, top-side up, onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 15 minutes more. For the neatest pieces, slice with a sharp serrated knife, which will help you saw through the apple pieces rather than crushing them. 

    9. Storage information: This cake is best served the day it’s baked, but it can be stored, uncovered at room temperature, for up to 3 days (press parchment or plastic wrap directly to cut surfaces but don’t cover the cake, as it will become damp).