Apple Kuchen: a Tall Apple-Custard Tourte

The name is a mouthful and its identity, questionable. This recipe probably comes from the Alsace region in Eastern France adjacent to Germany. I don’t know whether I should call it a cake or a tart. It bakes more like a tart with its various components. There are the buttery crust, the fruits, crumb layer on the bottom and a custard filling.

The best bite to me was the apples. I got a 2-lb bag of Fuji apples from Trader Joe’s which I have not used before in baking. After baking for over an hour, there was still a bite in the apples. The natural sweetness of the Fuji apples came through nicely. I hardly used up the bag of apples. The recipe calls for three pounds.

The tricky part of this recipe (from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking with Chef Moi) is rolling out the crust. The crust is very delicate to handle. It completely fell apart in my first attempt in flipping it over the springform pan. In the second attempt, I basically pressed the crust dough on the sides. I wonder whether it’s better to use thin plastic wrap, at least on one side, in stead of the more rigid parchment paper, which I used. I would line the bottom of the tart with parchment paper next time for the ease of transfer from the pan onto a plate since the crust is so delicate and fussy. I’d have preferred a more supple and sturdier dough.

The crust turned out quite elegant and tender fresh out of the oven. On the second day, it got soggy.

I skipped the broiler step. No need for more butter and sugar under the broiler. In fact, the kuchen turned golden brown in less than an hour of baking in a 360°F convection oven with the filling.

This is a delicious tart with a long name and a mixed identity. There is plenty to like about it. It is a full package: the fruity flavor, the creamy texture and a distinctive look. You can see more comments from other TWD’s bakers here.