I tasted this light, moist, flavourful cake when I ordered a take-out meal from The Depanneur. This superb confection was baked by Doris Fin. She is a chef who teaches cooking classes. The dishes she prepares reflect her Russian heritage. I asked for the recipe. I baked it – here it is. Yer welcome!

4 large tart apples, peeled, cored, quartered, sliced about ¼-inch thick
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 large eggs, room temperature 
½ to 1 cup organic cane sugar
1⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda

Optional (use 1 or all): 
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup raisins
Coarse sugar (eg. turbinado) to sprinkle on top 
Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch/23 cm springform cake pan with parchment paper (if using Bundt pan no parchment required).

In bowl, toss apples with lemon juice.

In stand mixer OR in medium bowl use an electric mixer, on high speed, beat eggs and sugar until super fluffy and ribbon forms, 3 to 5 minutes. Sift in the flour, baking soda, optional cinnamon and gently fold in scooping from the bottom, until no flour specks are left. Do not overmix.

Fold in two-thirds of the apples and raisins and/or walnuts, if using. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread it out evenly and sprinkle the remaining apples over the top. Sprinkle optional coarse sugar evenly on top.

Bake on the middle rack of oven 45 to 55 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Leave in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then gently run a knife around the cake to loosen the edges. Remove from the pan, turn upside down and set on a wire rack. Peel off parchment paper. Cool completely or slice while it’s warm. Dust with icing sugar. Serve as is, with fresh fruit, a drizzle of honey/maple syrup or melted chocolate.

Store airtight at room temperature for 2 days, then 2 days in the fridge.