Viennese Apple Pie Recipes

GERMAN APPLE CAKE (WIENER APFELKUCHEN)

Steps:

• Gather the crust ingredients.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
• Cut in cold butter for pie dough until small crumbs form.
• Use 4 to 6 tablespoons of the egg-water mixture to moisten the crumbs. Stir just until the mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Gather the batter ingredients.
• Cut each quarter apple into 3 long pieces, then cut crosswise into small trapezoids. Sprinkle with lemon juice, toss and set aside.
• Beat together softened butter with sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and lemon zest.
• Whisk together flour with baking powder (and a dash of salt if using unsalted butter) in a separate small bowl. Add to creamed butter mixture alternately with whipping cream and beat until smooth. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 11-inch springform pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs or flour, shaking out excess.
• Roll out the crust and line the pan, piecing crust as necessary to form a 1- to 1 1/2-inch lip.
• Place drained apple slices in the crust.
• Spoon cake batter over apple slices as if setting dumpling batter on a stew, then smooth over apples to edges.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons almond slices then 4 tablespoons granulated sugar evenly over batter.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, then turn off the oven and leave the cake for another 15 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and filling should be moist but set.
• Allow cake to cool completely in the pan for best taste. Serve with whipped cream . Refrigerate any leftovers.

VIENNESE APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Mix the sultanas and rum together and set aside to soak. Mix the flour and almonds together then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Stir in 2oz of the sugar and lemon zest.
• Mix the egg yolk with the lemon juice and stir into the dry ingredients and mix to make a firm dough. Chill for 30 minutes
• Preheat the oven to 350°F Peel, core and slice the apples, place in a bowl and add the remaining sugar, walnuts, sponge fingers, cinnamon and soaked sultanas.
• Roll out two thirds of the pastry on a floured surface and use to line an 8in round loose-based sandwich tin, allow the pastry to hang over the edges. Spoon in the apple mixture and press it down firmly.
• Roll out the remaining pastry, use the tin as a guide to cut out a circle to form a lid then roll over the excess pastry to make a neat seam on top of the pie. Make a steam hole in the centre of the pie.
• Whisk the egg white until frothy then brush over the top of the pie.
• Sprinkle with the granulated sugar and bake for 30-35 mins or until the pastry is golden.
• Leave to cool and serve warm in wedges with cream.
• Alternatively, serve it warm or cold in dainty wedges dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon.