Apple Cake with Coconut Flakes

Preheat the oven to 190 °C fan (220 °C conventional) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Separate 4 eggs and set the egg whites aside for the glaze.

Cream the softened butter with 100 g sugar, the vanilla sugar, salt, the whole egg and the yolks until fluffy.

Sift in the flour and baking powder, then thoroughly stir in the milk, the finely grated lemon zest and 70 g coconut flakes.

Peel the apples, quarter them, remove the cores and cut into thin slices.

Spread the batter evenly on the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with the ground almonds, arrange the apple slices closely on top and sprinkle evenly with 100 g sugar.

Bake the cake on the middle rack for about 15 minutes.

For the glaze, beat the egg white with the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt until stiff, then gently fold in the lemon juice and the remaining coconut flakes.

Remove the cake from the oven and reduce the temperature to 160 °C fan (180 °C conventional).

Spread the coconut glaze evenly over the hot cake.

Return the cake to the oven and bake for another 20–25 minutes until the glaze is lightly golden.

Let the cake cool, cut into pieces and, if desired, serve with rum whipped cream.