Do I have any idea why this is known as Dutch apple cake? Nope. There are many randomly named recipes written down in our family recipe book, this being one. The ‘Blanc Mange’ (which is actually a recipe for Swiss-roll cake) and ‘Sinking Red Devils Food Cake’ (which neither sinks nor is red) being others. But I do know that all of these recipes are foolproof, simple and comforting. This apple cake is unlike any I’ve ever come across. The apples are thinly sliced and pushed into the top of the cake in a star-like pattern, with only the thin outer edge of the fruit showing. When baked, the exposed part of the apple dries, becoming slightly chewy, while the batter-covered portion is soft and sweet.