German Apple Sour Cream Cake

For the base:
190g. (6 oz) ginger snap biscuits
80g. (1/3 cup) melted butter
pinch of cinnamon

For the Filling:
1.5kg. (3 lbs) Granny Smith apples
200g. (6 1/2 oz) brown sugar
70g. (2 oz) plain flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup sultanas or currants

For the topping:
300ml. (10 oz) sour cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Preheat the oven to 180C. (350F) and butter a 24cm. (9") springform tin that has been lined with baking paper.

First, make the base. Process the biscuits and cinnamon together until fine crumbs and mix with the melted butter. Press into the base the prepared cake tin, compacting with the aid of a potato masher if necessary. Core and slice the apples thinly (do not peel) and set aside. Process the flour, brown sugar and spices together and set aside.

Place a third of the apples over the crumb base, then sprinkle with the currants or sultanas. Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the fruit, tapping the tin to allow the excess to fall between the fruit pieces. Repeat these layers of apple, sultanas and flour mixture until all ingredients are used, ending with the sprinkling of flour mixture.

Mix the sour cream with the icing sugar and spread evenly over cake. Bake at 180C. (350F) for 45 minutes, then remove cake from oven and chill overnight. Remove from tin and dredge with cinnamon flavored icing sugar. Serve warm or cold.