French-Style Apple Torte with Maple Tahini Cream
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Last fall, I was walking 20 miles through the streets of Paris to make sure I got to visit every arrondissament, taking trains through the French countryside, and hanging out in wine bars in Bordeaux. This fall, I’m watching French dramas on Netflix and scrolling through “cheap dream home” listings on Instagram. Such is 2020. So here is this little French-style apple torte to make a fall spent sitting at home a bit sweeter. It’s a cake that is very light and barely sweet, it pairs well with coffee in the morning or wine in the afternoon and has a very ‘lazy day’ feel.
But why am I calling it a torte instead of a cake? What’s the difference? I’m glad you asked! There are a few different opinions on the subject, and I found this little write up from Food52 helpful in creating a semi-accurate definition. Since there is quite a bit of discussion on the matter, I’ll simply tell you why I’m referring this little pastry as a torte (whether it’s technically correct or not). First, it’s European in style. The inspiration for this torte came from two different places—German apple strudel, a pastry that is barely sweetened with no brown sugar or cinnamon, which are both very American apple pairings, and a Dorie Greenspan by-way-of-David Lebovitz recipe for a French Apple Cake. Second, tortes traditionally implement nut flours for a denser crumb. While this cake is not 100% nut flour based, the addition of almond flour gives texture and heftiness to an otherwise very light crumb. And third, it’s has a semi-elaborate decoration. Most tortes are known for their clean looks and fancy glazes. While this cake doesn’t implement any sleek decor, the arranged apple slices take a bit more time than simply folding them into the batter and gives a polished, finished look. And lastly, I’m calling it a torte because I want to. :) The maple tahini cream is beautiful scooped on top and if I close my eyes when I take a bite, it almost feels like I’m back in Paris.
P.S. If you’re looking to take a little getaway from the comfort of your couch, I wrote all about our European adventure last fall on the blog. You can check out my travel diaries here: Paris and Bordeaux.
French Apple Torte
Yield: 1 8” cake
Ingredients
for the cake:
1/2 cup (80 g) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (25 g) almond flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 eggs
1 egg white
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 tbsp rum
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
3-4 small apples, thinly sliced
for the maple tahini cream:
1/4 cup loose tahini
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350° F and line a 8” cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside
Place butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally for 6-7 minutes, until butter is foamy and fragrant, and browned bits begin to form. Remove from heat and transfer to a heat-proof bowl to cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the two whole eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, rum, and vanilla extract. Add browned butter and continue whisking until smooth and homogenized. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk gently until no flour streaks remain.
In the bowl of stand mixer or using a hand mixer, whip egg white on medium-high speed until frothy. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue whipping until thick and glossy. The mixture won’t form peaks, but will be very thick and look marshmallowy.
Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter until completely combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and arrange apple slices on top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and the top springs back when touched. Let cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pan and continuing to cool.
While the cake is cooling, make the maple tahini cream. In a small bowl, whisk together tahini and maple syrup until smooth. Using a mixer, whip cold heavy cream until soft peaks form, then stream in tahini mixture. Continue mixing until combined. Spoon soft whipped cream over warm apple cake.
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