Recipe taken from Warm Bread & Honey Cake by Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra
FILLING
1 lb 7 oz tart apples (about 5 medium)
generous 1/3 cup (2 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
CAKE
2 cups (10 1/2 oz) all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
scant 1 1/2 sticks (5 1/2 oz) butter, softened
generous 1 cup (8 oz) granulated sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
5 tbsp rum
5 tbsp water
EQUIPMENT
9-inch springform pan, at least 2 3/4 inches high
METHOD
Peel and core the apples. Cut each apple into 8 parts and slice thinly. Put the sliced apples in a bowl and mix in the sugar and cream. Set aside until needed.
For the cake, sift in the flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease the pan and dust with flour.
Beat the butter and sugar until very smooth and creamy. Add the beaten egg in four batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour in four batches, adding the rum and water with the third batch. Gently fold in the last batch of flour and stop mixing as soon as it is incorporated.
You will need to divide the batter into three portions. Unless you have a very accurate eye and are very good at averaging these things, weigh them, because the layering depends on an even distribution of batter and fruit. Weigh two batches of batter, each 11 1/2 oz, into two bowls.
Transfer the batter left in the mixing bowl to the prepared pan. Level the top. Spread one batch of apple mixture evenly on top of this, leaving about 1/2 inch free around the edge. Add another batch of cake batter and level it. Spread the second batch of apple mixture evenly on top of this, and top with the third and final batch of batter. It will be quite a full pan, but the batter will not spill out while baking.
Level the top and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then release the clip and transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.