A fragrant vanilla crust with a vanilla cinnamon apple filling
Yield:
12-16 servings
Ingredients:
Cake Crust:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2+ cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Apple Mixture:
7-9 cups sliced peeled cooking/baking apples*
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
Vanilla Sauce:
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional: powdered sugar for dusting finished cake
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients to make a soft but stiff dough. Add more flour as needed to ensure that you have a dough and not a batter. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar.
3. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Pat dough evenly on the bottom and sides of the pan (dough should be about 1/8-1/4 inches thick). Fill with apple mixture, pressing gently. Cover with foil.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes; remove foil and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until apples are soft. The apples on top will look a little dry; use a fork or toothpick to test apples for doneness.
5. In a bowl, combine vanilla sauce ingredients in order listed. Pour over hot cake, allowing sauce to fill between the apples. Bake for another 20-25 minutes.
6. Cool cake on wire rack; cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4-6 hours of overnight. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
