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Ingredients

• 1⅛ lbWheat flourfor the dough, plain
• 8¾ ozButtersoft, for the dough; replaced fully or partly by lard in two sources
• 7 ozSour creammakes the dough pliable; one source uses plain yoghurt
• 4¼ ozSugarfor the dough, partly as icing sugar
• 2Eggone for the dough or just the yolk, one beaten for brushing
• ⅓ ozBaking powderleavening for the dough; one source uses baking soda, one fresh yeast
• 1 pinchSaltfor the dough
• 3⅓ lbApplepeeled, coarsely grated, juice squeezed out
• 5¼ ozSugarfor the apple filling
• 2 tspCinnamonground, for the filling
• ¼ ozVanilla sugarfor the filling
• 1 tspClovesground, seasons the filling
• 1 tspAllspiceground, seasons the filling (optional)
• 4 tbspBreadcrumbsscattered on the base to absorb apple juice; semolina or biscuit crumbs as substitute
• 4 tbspJamspread thinly on the bottom pastry, preferably redcurrant or a dark variety
• 3½ ozWalnutsground, in the filling or in a meringue topping (optional)
• Powdered sugarfor dusting the cooled cake (optional)

Method

1. Mix the wheat flour with the sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl, rub in the soft butter (or margarine) with your fingers, then add the egg and sour cream and knead everything into a smooth, pliable dough.
2. Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest somewhere cool for 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, peel the apples and grate them coarsely, then drain off the juice or squeeze the apples firmly — keep the juice and drink it.
4. Mix the grated apples with the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla sugar, ground cloves and allspice if you like; if you prefer, cook the mixture down over low heat until dry, then let it cool completely.
5. Divide the dough in two, leaving the piece for the base slightly larger, roll it out thinly and lay it in a greased and floured rectangular tin (about 28 x 21 or 37 x 23 cm).
6. Scatter the base with breadcrumbs so they soak up the apple juice and spread it thinly with jam, then spread the apple filling evenly on top, mixed with ground walnuts if you're using them.
7. Roll out the second piece of dough, lay it over the filling, press the edges together well, brush the surface with beaten egg and prick it all over closely with a fork.
8. Bake at 180 to 390 °F until golden brown, 25 to 50 minutes depending on the tin and how thick the pastry is.
9. Let the cake cool completely before cutting it into squares, and dust with icing sugar if you like.

Tips and variations

There are plenty of ways to go with the dough: fresh yeast instead of baking powder, a short pastry with egg yolk and lemon zest (blind-bake the base for 10 minutes), plain yoghurt in place of the sour cream, or lard instead of some or all of the butter. A soft dough can simply be pressed into the tin and finished with a cap of beaten egg white and ground walnuts; if you like layers, bake four thin sheets stacked up with jam and semolina between them. The filling can be layered raw and unsqueezed, sharpened with a little citric acid, or swapped for compote or other fruit altogether — sour cherry, cherry, pear or peach. Serve it in squares straight from the tin, dusted with icing sugar, and if you've decorated the top sheet with cut-out shapes or a lattice it needs nothing else at all.