Can there ever be too many apple pies in autumn? 🙂 A rhetorical question — these bakes are always in fashion during harvest season. Usually, apple pies are filled with the scent of cinnamon, but this time I tried something different – I flavored mine with vanilla. It’s a Swiss-style apple pie topped with a spiral of choux cream. I stumbled upon the recipe while browsing social media, and it was that spiral that caught my eye 🙂 Because really, what new can you still invent in the world of apple desserts? All the shapes and flavors have been tried so many times, so something a little different always makes an impression!

I served this pie to our friends from Japan who were visiting our home. Those who are familiar with Japanese desserts will know — they are usually very mildly sweet. My guests loved this one so much they even asked for a second slice (which doesn’t happen that often with Japanese people :)), so at least I got the sugar balance just right for their taste. If you prefer sweeter desserts, add about 30–40 g more sugar to the dough. Of course, also consider the tartness or sweetness of your apples.

I have no doubt that if you replaced the vanilla with cinnamon, the pie would turn out just as delicious — so if you like it, try other versions too!

A soft, juicy cake — gently sweet, fragrant with vanilla and the warmth of a sunny autumn. In this recipe, you can replace or complement the vanilla with cinnamon for a more traditional.

Ingredients
4 eggs
140 g sugar (or 180 g if you prefer it sweeter)
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod or ½ teaspoon vanilla powder
80 ml vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
270 g flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
A pinch of salt
3 large apples, thinly sliced

For the choux cream spiral:
1 egg
50 g sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla powder
30 g cornstarch
240 ml milk

Line a 20 cm springform cake pan (both bottom and sides) with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan setting).

In a bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer), beat the eggs with sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the oil and yogurt and continue mixing until well combined. Add the flour mixed with baking powder and salt, and gently stir just until the ingredients come together.

Pour about one-third of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Arrange half of the apple slices over the surface. Pour another third of the batter on top, arrange the remaining apple slices, and finish with the rest of the batter.

Prepare the choux cream: beat the egg with sugar and vanilla until the mixture becomes pale and airy, then mix in the cornstarch. Bring the milk to a boil, add a ladle of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Then slowly pour in the remaining milk and mix well. Pour the entire mixture back into the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens considerably. Transfer the cream into a piping bag and pipe a spiral pattern on top of the cake, starting from the center.

Bake for about 50–60 minutes, or until nicely golden and fully cooked inside. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Orginal recipe: https://nidosreceptai.lt/sveicariskas-obuoliu-pyragas/