Sunday Recipe for 9-19-10: It’s Apple Time!

Apple picking has begun, which means this is one of the first recipes to come out of my files.  Jelly-glazed cinnamon apple slices sit atop a sour cream pound cake and topped with toasted almonds.  It’s a gorgeous cake that looks like it came from a fancy pastry shop, and tastes like fall.

Scandinavian Apple Cake

3-4 medium-size apples
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup apple jelly, melted
2 Tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

1.   Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2.   Pare apples; cut each into 6 wedges and remove cores.  Place apple wedges in a large bowl.  Combine the 2 Tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle over apples; toss to coat apples; set aside.
3.  Lightly grease a 9-by-3-inch springform pan.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
4.  In large mixer bowl, place butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla.   Beat on high speed, scraping bowl often, for 3-5 minutes or until batter is very light and fluffy.  Stir in half the flour mixture by hand until blended; stir in sour cream.  Add remaining flour, mixing well until batter is smooth.  Pour into prepared pan.  Arrange the prepared apple slices attractively in a circle on top of batter, gently pressing slices partly into batter.
5.  Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Loosen cake around edge with knife; release the spring and carefully lift off side of pan. 
6.  Brush top of cake with melted jelly; sprinkle with toasted nuts.   Serve warm or cooled.  Serves 8.