Apple Macaroon Cake, From UES’ William Greenberg Desserts - Forward

Rich, dense and almondy, with a layer of sweet apples crowning the top, this cake is a perfect fall dessert. You can arrange the apple slices haphazardly or, for a special occasion, take the time to arrange them in concentric circles. Do be sure to buy almond paste — marzipan is much sweeter and smoother than almond paste and won’t produce the same effect.

1 pound (1¾ cups) almond paste, broken into chunks
1 cup sugar, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 egg yolks
1 cup egg whites (from about 8 eggs)
⅔ cup flour
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into ⅓-inch wedges
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 9-inch springform pan with butter, line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse almond paste, ½ cup of sugar, and salt until uniformly sandy, about 30 pulses.
Add the yolks and process until thick and smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl halfway through.
In a medium separate bowl, whisk together egg whites and remaining ½ cup of sugar until incorporated but not peaked: The mixture should be fairly frothy but shouldn’t hold any shape. Gently whisk in flour.
Add egg white mixture to the food processor and process for 10 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and process for about 5 seconds more until you have a smooth batter.
Pour batter into prepared pan and arrange apple slices on top.
Bake 60–70 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean*. (See note below.) Run a knife around the side of the pan to loosen the cake, then cool in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Editor’s Note: When senior food writer Liza Schoenfein made this cake, the toothpick didn’t come out clean, even after 10–15 extra minutes, and the cake ended up over baked. She recommends sticking to the 60–70 minute timeframe, taking the cake out when the edges are browning and pulling away from the pan.
Do-ahead: Cake can be made 5 days ahead. Cover with foil and store in the refrigerator.