Dutch apple torte

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 112g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 112g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 112g self raising flour
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the shortbread pastry:

• 450g plain flour
• 225g icing sugar
• 300g unsalted butter
• 3 eggs
• Water as required

For the filling:

• 4 tart eating apples
• 6 level teaspoons cinnamon
• 30ml calvados
• 100g caster sugar
• 50g ground almonds
• 100g desiccated coconut
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam

For finishing off:

• 100g apricot glaze
• 200g icing sugar
• 2-4 tablespoons water
• 100g flaked almonds

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Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
  Line one 20cm loose bottomed sandwich tin with baking paper.
  Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  Do not skimp on this stage as it's the key to a lovely sponge.
  Gradually add the eggs, flour and vanilla until fully combined and you have a smooth, thick batter.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared tin. Level the surface.
  Bake for approx 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Mine took 30 minutes.
  Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing from the tin and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.
  The sponge can be made the day before and stored in an airtight container.
• Now make the shortbread pastry: place the flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor and blitz until you have fine breadcrumbs.
  Add the eggs and blitz again.
  Add enough water to make a dough. Knead until a nice firm consistency then wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6
  Lightly butter a 23cm springform pan.
• Take 2/3s of the pastry and roll out between two sheets of floured clingfilm. I floured the clingfilm as my pastry was soft and sticky; if yours isn?t then hold off on the flour.
  When you have a pastry disc big enough to line the inside of the tin and come right the way up the sides, transfer the pastry to the tin. Mine fell to bits but I discovered that it patches well!
  Return the pasty in the tin to the fridge while you prepare the filling.
  Now make the filling: peel, core and slice the apples, cut each apple into about 12 slices i.e. quarter it and then cut each quarter into 3.
• Place the apple slices in a bowl and add the cinnamon, calvados/apple juice, sugar, ground almonds and desiccated coconut. Stir so that all the apple slices are covered in the dry ingredients.
  Remove the pastry case from the fridge and spread the apricot jam over the base.
  Sit the Genoese sponge in the bottom of the tin. It should fit easily as it was made in a 20cm tin.
  Pack the coated apples around the sponge and over the top. Take care, because the tighter you pack the apples, the more you'll get in!
• Return to the fridge while you roll out the top of the pastry.
  As before, roll the remaining pastry out between two sheets of clingfilm until you have a sufficient disc to cover the top of your torte.
  Remove the torte from the fridge and lay the pastry lid on top. Crimp the edges to ensure that nothing will escape during cooking.
  Bake for 30-35 minutes until the shortbread pastry looks cooked. Remember, the sponge is already cooked so judge it solely on the pastry.
  Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. When the tin is cool enough to handle, remove the springform rim.
• Brush the top of the torte with apricot glaze and leave to dry.
  Now make the glace icing: place the icing sugar in a bowl and add a tablespoon of water. Whisk until a thick but runny paste is produced, adding more water as necessary to achieve this.
  Pour the icing over the top of the torte and, before it sets, scatter the flaked almonds over the top
  Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
  Eat.