Florentine Apple Cake with Rum Raisins

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This Florentine Apple Cake with almond topping combines juicy apples and rum raisins on buttery shortcrust pastry with a crisp, caramelized almond crust. A special, wonderfully moist German apple cake for fall and winter.

This Florentine Apple Cake is one of those apple cake recipes that looks a little fancy but is actually surprisingly easy to make. A buttery shortcrust pastry is piled high with juicy apples and rum-soaked raisins, then topped with a caramelized almond crust made with honey and cream. I skip the cinnamon here and use lemon zest and a touch of nutmeg instead, which keeps the apple filling beautifully light and lets the buttery almond topping shine.

How to cut clean slices ?

The caramelized almond topping becomes wonderfully crisp as it cools, which also means it can crack when you cut into it.

I first use a sharp steak knife and gentle sawing motions to carefully cut through the Florentine topping. Once the crust has been cut, I switch to a regular cake knife to cut all the way through the slice. This keeps the almond topping from breaking and gives you much neater slices.

How long does Florentine Apple Cake keep?

Covered and refrigerated, the cake will keep for about 4 days. For the best flavor, let individual slices come closer to room temperature before serving.

Which apples are best for Florentine Apple Cake?

Tart, relatively firm baking apples work best. Boskoop, Elstar, or Braeburn are all great choices. You can also use a combination of different apple varieties for more flavor.

Can I make this the day before?

Yes. In fact, it’s especially easy to slice the following day because the apple filling has had plenty of time to cool and set completely.

Tips

• Cut the apples into thin slices, but don’t chop them too finely. This helps them retain some texture as they bake.
• Mix the cornstarch with the apples. It helps bind the juices released during baking.
• Don’t skip the pinch of salt in the topping. It balances the sweetness of the honey and sugar.
• Keep the cake covered during the first half of the baking time. This allows the apples to cook without the almonds becoming too dark.
• Let the cake cool completely before slicing. The filling sets as it cools.

For more German Apple Cake recipes check out my German Apple Cider Cake – a Hessian Apple Cake, or my Easy Apple Blackberry Cake.

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Florentine Apple Cake

This Florentine Apple Cake combines buttery shortcrust pastry with a thick layer of juicy apples, rum-soaked raisins, and a golden, caramelized almond topping. Instead of cinnamon, I season the apple filling with nutmeg and fresh lemon zest. This keeps the filling beautifully light in color while still giving it a wonderfully warm flavor. Ingredients for a 24 cm / 9.5-inch Springform Pan

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Keyword apple cake with almond topping, florentine apple cake

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Calories 210 kcal

Ingredients

For the Shortcrust Pastry

• 2 cups 250 g all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp 80 g sugar
• ½ cup + 1 tbsp 125 g cold butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 –2 tbsp cold water as needed
• Butter for greasing the pan

For the Apple Filling

• 2.6 lbs 1.2 kg apples
• ⅓ cup 40–45 g raisins
• 3 tbsp rum
• 3 tbsp 30 g sugar
• Zest of 1 organic lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 1/2 level tbsp cornstarch or flour

For the Florentine Almond Topping

• 6 tbsp 85 g butter
• 3 tbsp 45 g heavy cream
• ¼ cup 50 g sugar
• 2½ tbsp about 50 g honey
• 1⅓ cups 130 g sliced almonds
• 1 generous pinch salt

Instructions

Prepare the rum raisins.

1. Combine the raisins with the rum and let them soak for at least 20–30 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave the raisins with the rum.

Make the shortcrust pastry.

1. Knead together the flour, sugar, cold butter cut into pieces, egg, salt, and vanilla flavoring. At first, the mixture will resemble coarse crumbs. Continue kneading until it comes together into a smooth, relatively firm shortcrust pastry.
2. If the dough is still too dry, add cold water one tablespoon at a time, using only as much as needed for the dough to hold together.

Line the pan.

1. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface until slightly larger than your 24 cm / 9.5-inch springform pan.
2. Grease the pan and line it with the pastry. Use your fingers to form a 2–3 cm / ¾–1¼-inch high edge. Prick the bottom several times with a fork and place the pan in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F .

Prepare the apple filling.

1. Peel, quarter, and core the apples, then cut them into thin slices.
2. Combine the apples with the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Fold in the rum raisins along with any rum remaining in the bowl.
3. Spread the apple filling evenly over the chilled pastry and gently press it down.

Make the Florentine almond topping.

1. Add the butter, cream, sugar, honey, and salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring, then let it simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the sliced almonds. Spoon the Florentine mixture over the apples and carefully spread it into an even layer.

Bake.

1. Loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil and place it in the preheated oven. This prevents the almond topping from browning too quickly.
2. After half of the baking time, remove the foil and continue baking uncovered until the Florentine topping is beautifully golden and caramelized.
3. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for about 45–50 minutes total.