German Apple and Quark Cake with Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients

• APPLE CAKE BATTER
• 2 eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• 100 g sugar
• 80 ml warm milk
• 70 ml vegetable oil
• 30 g butter, melted
• 200 g plain flour
• 10 g baking powder
• 2 large apples, peeled and diced
• QUARK TOPPING
• 200 g quark
• 70 g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 200 g sour cream
• 30 g cornflour
• VANILLA SAUCE
• 150 ml milk
• 150 ml double cream
• 1 small pinch salt
• 5 egg yolks
• 50 g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 apple, for decoration

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (338°F).
2. Grease and line a 22–24 cm springform cake tin.
3. Whisk the 2 eggs, salt and 100 g sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
4. Add the warm milk, vegetable oil and melted butter.
5. Sift together the flour and baking powder.
6. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.
7. Peel and dice the two large apples.
8. Fold the diced apples into the batter.
9. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared tin.
10. For the quark topping, whisk together the quark, 70 g sugar, 3 eggs, sour cream and cornflour until smooth.
11. Carefully pour the quark mixture over the apple batter.
12. Thinly slice the remaining apple and arrange it over the top.
13. Bake for approximately 50–55 minutes, until the centre is set with only a slight wobble.
14. If the cake browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil near the end of baking.
15. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes.
16. For the vanilla sauce, place the milk, cream, salt and vanilla in a saucepan.
17. Heat until steaming but not boiling.
18. Whisk the egg yolks with the 50 g sugar in a heatproof bowl.
19. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the yolks.
20. Return everything to the saucepan.
21. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon.
22. Do not allow the custard to boil.
23. Serve the apple and quark cake warm or cool with the vanilla sauce.