This is the kind of dessert that looks almost too simple to be memorable, yet the texture makes it difficult to forget.

Instead of relying on a generous amount of flour, butter or sponge, the cake is built almost entirely from apples.

Ingredients

Serves 8–10

1.5kg Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and halved

2 large eggs

100ml double cream

130g soft light brown sugar

¾ tsp baking powder

75g plain flour

Crème fraîche or extra double cream, to serve

Step 1: Prepare the Tin

Heat the oven to 180°C, or 160°C fan.

Line the base and sides of the springform tin carefully with baking paper. Make sure there are no open gaps, because the mixture will be quite fluid before baking.

Step 2: Slice the Apples

Slice the peeled and cored apples into thin half-moons, ideally about 2mm thick.

Arrange them horizontally in the prepared tin, building up even layers. Press the fruit down gently as you work so the slices sit closely together without large spaces between them.

This compact layering is what gives the finished cake its distinctive soft, almost pudding-like centre.

Step 3: Make the Batter

Put the eggs into a large bowl, then add the cream and brown sugar. Whisk until smooth.

Sprinkle over the flour and baking powder and whisk again until no dry streaks remain.

Slowly pour the batter over the apples. Gently shake or tap the tin so the mixture runs down between the layers and reaches the bottom.

Step 4: Bake Slowly

Bake for around 1 hour 40 minutes.

If the cake colours unevenly, rotate the tin halfway through baking. It is ready when the top is rich golden brown and several caramelised apple edges are visible.

Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature.

Step 5: Chill Before Serving

Once cool, refrigerate the cake for at least four hours. Leaving it overnight works even better because the layers have more time to settle and firm up.

Carefully remove the springform tin and peel away the baking paper. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and cut it.

Serve chilled or slightly cool with generous spoonfuls of crème fraîche or softly whipped cream.

The result sits somewhere between a cake, a baked custard and a layered apple dessert: caramelised around the edges, exceptionally soft in the centre and much richer in flavour than the short ingredient list suggests.