apple slice cake! The perfect dessert for a crowd, plus more flaky crust with every bite. For the best flavor, use a mix of apples. Ideal for apple picking parties, Thanksgiving or holiday celebrations.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Apple pie is the best way to serve dessert to a crowd, in my opinion. Instead of baking the cake in a round pan as usual, it is baked in a large tray.
With an apple pie, you typically only add a thin layer of filling, so there’s also a much higher crust-to-filling ratio. That means more flaky, golden pie crust with every bite, and in my experience, we really are all in for the crust!
I also love that apple pie slices are so easy to cut and lift out of the pan – you avoid the dreaded removing the first slice of pie. Maybe it’s the food stylist in me, but that always stresses me out! It’s almost always a mess and this rectangular version makes for a much more graceful transition from pan to plate.
I’m a firm believer in using more than one type of apple in my apple pie. I like to use 2 or 3 varieties (Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Honeycrisp are a favorite mix) so my pies have some tender pieces of apple that hold their shape while others get as soft as applesauce. I also think that a mix of apples makes for a more complex and interesting flavor.
As with any cake, remember to keep your batter well chilled before baking for maximum flakiness!
Best Toppings for Apple Slab Pie!
- Homemade vanilla ice cream
- cinnamon icecream
- Caramel sauce
- whipped cream
Want more Thanksgiving Pie ideas?!
- Our Best Thanksgiving Pies Ever from Simply Recipes
Check out more great apple pie recipes!
- Mile High Deep Dish Apple Pie
- Classic apple pie
- Sour cream apple pie
- Apple cranberry currant crumble cake
apple slice cake
See No Fail Sour Cream Pie Crust for more detailed instructions on mixing and rolling the pie dough, but note that ingredient amounts are slightly different (this slab pie uses 1 1/2 full Sour Cream Pie Crust recipes).
ingredients
For the cake base:
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1 1/2 cups (3 sticks, 337g) cold unsalted butter
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3 cups (390G) all purpose flour
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1 1/2 teaspoon kosher Salt
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1 tablespoon sugar
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3/4 Cup (173 mL) Full Fat sour cream
For the filling:
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2 lb mixed apples (I like Granny Smith, Braeburn and Honey Crisp)
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1/2 Cup (100 g) sugar
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1 tablespoon lemon juice
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2 tablespoon cornstarch
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1 1/2 teaspoon Cinammon
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prize kosher salt
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1 big egg
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1 tablespoon milk
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grinding sugar to sprinkle
method
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Prepare the cake dough and chill:
Dice the cold butter and set aside for 5 minutes to dissipate the chill. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the butter cubes and work them into the flour with your fingers. Press and rub together the butter cubes until the mixture resembles coarse flour with a few chunks of butter. Add the sour cream and stir into the flour and butter mixture with a fork until a thick curd forms.
Turn the dough out onto a counter and use your hands to shape it into a large ball. Cut in half with a knife and pound each half into a thick rectangle. Dust each rectangle with a little flour, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate (or freeze and then thaw in the refrigerator overnight) at least an hour or up to a day ahead. (See detailed instructions with photos for making the batter in our sour cream pie crust recipe.)
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Roll out the dough:
Roll out 1 of the dough rectangles into a thin rectangle about 11 x 15 inches (slightly larger than your pan). Carefully transfer the crust to a quarter sheet pan or jelly roll pan, fitting into the corners. The crust should extend about an inch beyond the sides. Don’t trim.
Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes.
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Prepare apple filling:
Peel and core all apples. Cut them into 1/2 inch pieces. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced apples, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
Remove the bottom crust from the refrigerator and spread the apple filling evenly over the surface of the crust.
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Roll out the top dough:
Remove the remaining dough rectangle from the refrigerator and roll it into a large rectangle, about 10×13 inches (about the size of your pan). At this point you have two options:
Traditional Top Crust: Pour the rolled out dough over the apples. Roll up and pinch the edges. Cut six openings in the top; three above and three below.
lattice crust: Cut the rolled out dough into strips and weave or braid the strips into a decorative lattice crust. Roll up and pinch the edges.
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Cool the cake and preheat the oven:
Place the cake in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes while the oven heats up. Preheat the oven to 375F.
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Brush the top of the cake with egg wash:
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the top of the cake with the egg milk and sprinkle with sand sugar.
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Bake a cake:
Place the cake on a larger sheet or baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden and the center of the cake is bubbling.
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Cool down completely:
Before serving, cool the cake completely, about 45 minutes.
The finished baked cake can also be wrapped in foil, kept on the counter and served the next day. Warm up briefly in the oven before serving, if desired. Wrapped in foil, leftovers also keep for about 2 days at room temperature or refrigerated for about 5 days.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 352 | calories |
| 21g | Fat |
| 38g | carbohydrates |
| 4g | protein |
