Versunkener Apfelkuchen gluten-free

Because it's been a few years since I'd made an apfel kuchen for my German-loving sons, I thought perhaps something like that would be the perfect recipe to highlight September's #ImprovCookingChallenge ingredients APPLES & HONEY. (The Improv Cooking Challenge is a once-a-month blogger recipe challenge lead by Nichole from Cookaholic Wife. You are welcome to join us for the monthly linky party...)

While googling honey + apfelkuchen I came across "sunken apple and honey cake" by Smitten Kitchen. I thought it looked beautiful and would be easy to adapt to an almond flour recipe to keep it gluten free.

The cake tasted wonderful, according to two of my four taste-testers. (One didn't like the honey flavor and the other dislikes anything that has the "eggy taste")

I thought it perfect for breakfast or brunch!

An InLinkz Link-up

Hey Mom, I signed up to bring…

…apfel kuchen.
Yeah -- like my son knows how to make an apfel kuchen to take to his post-marching-band-season party!
For some reason my boys are fascinated with German folk traditions & food. For an international dinner years ago in his 5th grade class, “we” made this kuchen:I don’t recall the reason for these “we” baked a few years back, maybe for an Easter brunch:Here’s the one “we” baked for last week’s party:The recipe I came up with for the sweet dough is incredible! (It rises like you would not believe, too…) Here you go:
for the dough:

• 4 c. flour
• 2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 T. yeast
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. Greek yogurt
• 1/2 c. warm water

My hands & arms weren’t in the mood for doing a bunch of kneading, so I tossed all the ingredients into the bread machine on the “dough” setting. I made sure the eggs & yogurt were room temperature before I started. I whisked together the flour, salt & soda in a bowl. The yeast, sugar & water were put in the bottom of the pan. I then put in about half the dry ingredients and started the machine. In went the yogurt, eggs & the balance of the flour mixture.
While that was going in the machine, I used my apple peeler/slicer/corer on 3 beautiful Honeycrisp apples and splashed them with a little lemon juice to keep from browning. I also tossed together the streusel ingredients:

• 1/2 c. flour
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 4 T. butter, softened
• 1/2 t. cinnamon

When the dough was finished with its first rise, I divided it in half. Formed it into a sort of disk with a hole in the middle and pressed it into a tube pan (prepared with parchment on the bottom and well-buttered tube & sides…) A layer or two of apples and sprinkling of cinnamon sugar completed the filling. The second half of the dough was prepared same as the first, but this time topped with the remaining apples and covered with the streusel. The oven was set for 350° and the kuchen sat on the counter for its final rise. It more than doubled after 45 minutes, so I went ahead and baked it. After 30 minutes I put foil over the top to keep it from browning too much. Internal temp was 200° at around the 55 minute mark, so I took the pan out to cool on a bottle. The outer ring soon fell off, so the bread on the tube was put on a rack to finish its chill-out. After carefully removing the tube portion, I plated it then mixed up a little half & half/confectioners sugar glaze. Here’s your slice:
I know he’ll be unhappy with me, but here’s what my oldest returned with from their band party. I’ve included my pics of him in uniform so you can see what the certificate is referring to: