Ingredients

• 3 small apples (up to 2.5 inches in diameter, should be a more tart variety)
• 1 3/4 ounces marzipan
• 3/4 ounce raisins
• 1 tablespoon dark rum (see note)
• 1 cinnamon stick (about 3 inches long)
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup almonds (blanched, grounded)
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• caster sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven (355 F, 180 C). Grease baking form (see NOTE on baking form).

2. Mix together Marzipan, raisins and rum. Core apples and remove seeds. Stuff apples with marzipan raisins mixture. Third the cinnamon stick lengthwise. Stick the cinnamon sticks into the apples.

3. Mix butter, caster sugar, cinnamon and salt until creamy. Add egg and mix well. Add almonds and mix well.

4. Mix flour and baking powder and add gradually to the butter mixture and mix. Fill dough into baking form. Place apples onto the dough.

5. Bake for about 25 minutes until cake is golden and done. Cake is done, when an inserted tooth prick comes out clean.

6. Let cool for 5 minutes in the form, then take the cake out of the form, dust with caster sugar.

7. Serve it warm or completely cooled.

8. NOTE on Baking Form: I use a pound cake form (3.5 x 9.5 inches). The amount of ingredients is based on this size. You can use any other square baking form. A round baking form would also work. The dough should only cover the bottom of the baking form. It will rise during baking, but should not reach more than half of the height of the apples. If you use another sized baking form adapt the amounts of ingredients and apples to your needs. If you use a pound cake form, it is a bit tricky to get the cake out of the form. Stuff some paper towels loosely around the apples, then turn the form carefully. The paper towels will prevent that the cake will brake apart.

9. Note on Rum: when baking for kids you can sub the rum by water and other flavourings like vanilla or cinnamon.