"French Laundry's" Apple Kuchen with Custard Sauce

I stumbled onto this recipe for the French Laundry's Apple Kuchen on Pinterest the other day. It led me to a page called An Inspired Cook. It looked really delicious. I was very keen to try it with the new red fleshed Sweet Tart Applies I had bought.
The French Laundry is a very upscale restaurant in California. It holds three Michelin Stars and serves nothing but a tasting menu, which changes every day. On average a meal eaten there can cost upwards of $390 per person. Much too rich for my budget, although if I won the lottery, I might be tempted.
In any case this cake recipe promised me a tiny taste of what I could expect. I am not sure how entirely authentic it is, but a gal can dream.

It is a cake in the European sense of a cake, which means that it is not overly sweet and has a lovely dense crumb. Some moisture and sweetness are added from the use of apple slices which are poked down into the batter in a "spoke" fashion prior to baking.
This makes for a very impressive presentation. I have included a recipe for a lush vanilla custard sauce to serve with it. This is completely optional. If you don't wish to go to the trouble you could also serve it with a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of good vanilla ice cream.
This is a cake that everyone will enjoy. I promise you!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE "FRENCH LAUNDRY'S" APPLE KUCHEN (with custard sauce)

You only need a few store cupboard baking ingredients for this lovely cake. It really is that simple.
For the cake:

6 TBS (86g) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (144g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups (187g) plain all-purpose flour, unsifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
1 - 2 fresh apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges (I used red fleshed sweet tart apples)
1 TBS sugar mixed together with 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the sauce:

4 cups (950ml) whole milk
4 large egg yolks (or 5 medium)
2/3 cup (125g) caster sugar
1/4 cup + 3/4 TBS (57g) cornstarch (corn flour)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For real success, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. This will help to prevent the cake batter from curdling when you beat everything together. If I know I am going to be baking a cake, I will usually take all of the things I am going to need out of the refrigerator about an hour before I start.
I use whole milk and salted butter. It is all I keep in my house. I don't have a problem with either one.
I used red fleshed Sweet Tart apples. I buy them at my local Spurr's Farm Market. It is a variety unique to them. It is the same apple that I used to make my applesauce. You can use any apple you wish. Do not cut them into really thick slices.
You can freeze your egg whites to use for making meringues or even a Pavlova. They really do freeze very well. Just make a note on the outside of your freezer container as to how many egg whites it contains.

HOW TO MAKE FRENCH LAUNDRY'S APPLE KUCHEN WITH CUSTARD SAUCE
As impressive as this cake looks when it is done, it is really a very simple cake to make and to bake.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 9-inch round springform pan and dust lightly with flour, tapping out any excess flour.Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Beat in the egg until creamy.Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add this mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, making three dry and two wet additions.Spoon the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing over the top evenly. Arrange the apple slices in the top of the cake, spoke fashion, beginning at the center of the cake.Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over top of the cake.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Mine took an additional 10 minutes.) (Leave to cool in the pan before removing.)

Make the custard while the cake is baking. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a medium sized saucepan until it is smooth, thick and yellow.Heat the milk in the microwave just until bubbles appear around the edges. Do not let it boil.

Slowly whisk the milk into the egg/sugar/cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly, until all of the milk has been added.

Place over medium high heat and cook, stirring constantly, with a whisk until the custard has simmered for a few minutes and thickened up to the desired consistency. It should coat the back of a metal spoon. Place a piece of plastic cling film over the top to help prevent a skin from forming.Serve the cake slightly warm and cut into wedges with the warm custard for pouring over top. (I did dust the top of my cake with icing sugar for presentation purposes.)

This was quite a sturdy cake with a moist crumb. Very European I felt both in texture and taste. Not overly sweet as North American cakes tend to be. I like that. The apples add a nice touch of sweet/tart and of course there is the cinnamon sugar sprinkled over top.
My apples did not soften overly much and retained a bit of a bite. If that is not something you enjoy, you may want to partially cook them (briefly poach) and leave them to cool before adding them to the cake. Pat them dry before adding.
I chose to make my own custard sauce, rather than the one which was with the original recipe. It is rich and indulgent and goes very well with the cake and the fruit.

If you are fond of cakes with fruit in them, you might also enjoy the following offerings! I can promise you they are delicious as well!
SPICED PLUM CAKE - Thisis a beautiful cake . . . filled with the lovely flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Sliced plums are arranged on top of the cake prior to baking and they become almost jammy when done, tart and sweet at the same time. The cake and fruit together are beautiful. Serve cut into wedges with lashings of pouring cream for a real taste treat.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN BUNDT CAKE - Deliciously impressive to look at. Pineapple rings and cherries are arranged in a sweet sauce, in a beautiful pattern, in the bundt pan prior to adding the cake batter. (I show you how. It's very easy.) Baked to perfection it is quite simply beautiful to look at and is delicious cut into wedges and served with whipped cream spooned over top.

RECIPE HEREYield: One 9-inch cakeAuthor: Marie Rayner

"French Laundry's" Apple Kuchen with Custard Sauce

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 HourA beautiful European style cake, which is not overly sweet. Decorated and filled with sweet slices of apple and served cut into wedges with a sweet custard sauce. This is an impressive dessert that belies the simplicity of its preparation. Make the cake first. You can make the custard while the cake is baking and keep it warm.

Ingredients

For the cake:

6 TBS (86g) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (144g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups (187g) plain all-purpose flour, unsifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
1 - 2 fresh apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges (I used red fleshed sweet tart apples)
1 TBS sugar mixed together with 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the sauce:

4 cups (950ml) whole milk
4 large egg yolks (or 5 medium)
2/3 cup (125g) caster sugar
1/4 cup + 3/4 TBS (57g) cornstarch (corn flour)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 9-inch round springform pan and dust lightly with flour, tapping out any excess flour.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Beat in the egg until creamy.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add this mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, making three dry and two wet additions.
Spoon the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing over the top evenly. Arrange the apple slices in the top of the cake, spoke fashion, beginning at the center of the cake.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over top of the cake.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Mine took an additional 10 minutes.)
Make the custard while the cake is baking. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a medium sized saucepan until it is smooth, thick and yellow.
Heat the milk in the microwave just until bubbles appear around the edges. Do not let it boil.
Slowly whisk the milk into the egg/sugar/cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly, until all of the milk has been added.
Place over medium high heat and cook, stirring constantly, with a whisk until the custard has simmered for a few minutes and thickened up to the desired consistency. It should coat the back of a metal spoon. Place a piece of plastic cling film over the top to help prevent a skin from forming.
Serve the cake slightly warm and cut into wedges with the warm custard for pouring over top. (I did dust the top of my cake with icing sugar for presentation purposes.)

Did you make this recipe?

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