Apple Pie with Whipped Cream
A crisp almond shortcrust base layered with ground walnuts, poached apples, apricot jam, and a thick cloud of sweetened whipped cream.
Historical recipe
Modernised adaptation of an early 20th‑century source. Not independently kitchen-tested by Attic Recipes. Quantities, temperatures, and food safety guidance have been updated for a contemporary kitchen — results may vary and errors may exist. Nutritional values, where provided, are estimates only and have not been laboratory tested. Always follow current food safety guidelines for your region. If you have a health condition, allergy, or dietary requirement, consult a qualified professional before preparing this recipe.
Use of this recipe is entirely at your own risk and subject to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Attic Recipes accepts no liability for any adverse outcome.
- Eggs
- Dairy
- Tree Nuts
- Gluten
Additional notes
-
Note
Contains alcohol (rum) used in poaching the apples. Most of the alcohol evaporates during cooking, but a small residual amount remains. Not recommended for pregnant women, children under 18, or individuals avoiding alcohol.
-
Note
High saturated fat content (approx. 12g per serving) from butter, lard, and heavy cream. Individuals managing cardiovascular risk should be aware of portion size.
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Caution
Contains raw egg in the unbaked dough. The crust is fully baked before assembly; no raw egg remains in the finished pie.
- 1
Sift the 200g strong white flour onto a pastry board or into a wide bowl. Add the 75g cold butter, 25g lard, 50g sifted powdered sugar, and 50g ground almonds. Work the fats into the flour quickly with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the lemon zest, 4g vanilla sugar, and the egg. Knead briefly until a smooth dough forms — do not overwork it.
- 2
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to fit your baking pan, keeping it approximately the thickness of a little finger (about 8–10mm). Grease the pan with the 10g butter. Carefully lift the dough into the pan and press it evenly into the base. Prick all over with a fork.
Tip If the dough tears during transfer, simply press it back together in the pan — it is forgiving. - 3
Bake at 190°C (375°F) / 170°C fan for 20–25 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before assembling.
- 4
While the crust cools, prepare the apple filling. Combine the 700g sliced apples, 100ml white wine, 30ml rum, and 50g granulated sugar in a wide pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes until the apples are just tender but still holding their shape. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Drain off any excess liquid before using.
- 5
Scatter the 100g ground walnuts (or hazelnuts) evenly over the cooled crust. Arrange the drained poached apple slices in an even layer over the nuts.
- 6
Warm the 150g apricot jam gently in a small saucepan or microwave until spreadable. Spread it in an even layer over the walnut and apple layers.
- 7
Whip the 300ml cold heavy cream with the 3 tbsp powdered sugar until it holds firm peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the jam layer in an even layer approximately two fingers deep (4–5 cm).
Tip Chill the assembled pie for 30 minutes before cutting — this firms the cream layer and gives much cleaner squares. - 8
Cut into squares with a sharp knife and serve. Wipe the blade clean between cuts for neat edges.
Nutrition Information per 1 square (approx. 110g)
Nutritional values are approximate estimates and may vary based on specific ingredients used, preparation methods, and portion sizes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. The pie is best assembled no more than two to three hours before serving, as the cream layer will begin to weep if left too long. Leftovers should be refrigerated and consumed within one day.
About This Recipe
This is a pie that works in layers — each one doing something different. The crust is not a soft pastry base but something closer to a biscuit: firm, short, and faintly sweet, enriched with ground almonds and barely enough egg to hold it together. It bakes hard and cool before anything goes on top of it, which is the point. The assembly happens entirely off the heat, and the sequence matters: ground walnuts first to absorb any moisture from the apples, then the poached apple slices themselves, then a thin coat of apricot jam to bind and sweeten, and finally a thick, cold layer of whipped cream that sets the whole thing into something you can cut cleanly into squares.
The cream in the original is slatka pavlaka — sweet cream, heavy whipping cream — whipped firm and sweetened after. Not soured cream, not yogurt. The distinction is in the name of the recipe itself and in the way the cream sits on top: dense, white, and stable enough to hold its shape when the knife goes through.
Home cooks of the period assembled this kind of pie for occasions — it required no special equipment but rewarded patience with each layer cooled before the next went on.
Why It Works
The strong flour in the crust is unusual for shortcrust pastry, which is typically made with lower-protein flour to minimize gluten development. Here it works because the dough is enriched with fat from three sources — butter, lard, and ground almonds — which coat the flour proteins and limit gluten formation despite the higher protein content. The result is a crust that is firmer and more biscuit-like than a standard shortcrust, which is exactly what this pie needs: something that can support the weight of the layers above it without going soggy.
The walnut layer beneath the apples serves a practical purpose. Ground nuts absorb surface moisture from the fruit and the jam, keeping the crust from softening during the assembly and resting period.
Poaching the apples in white wine and rum before layering, rather than baking them raw on the crust, means they are fully cooked and have released their liquid before assembly — no steam, no sogginess, no sunken cream layer.
Modern Kitchen Tips
The dough can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, wrapped tightly. Bring it to cool room temperature before rolling.
When poaching the apples, err on the side of underdone rather than overdone — they should hold their shape in the pan. Fully soft apples will turn to mush when sliced and layered.
Warming the apricot jam before spreading is not optional — cold jam tears the cream layer if applied directly. A few seconds in a microwave or a brief warm in a small pan is enough.
A classic of early 20th century Central European home cooking, preserved and adapted for the modern kitchen.
The Story Behind This Recipe
Historical Context
Early 20th century recipes for this style of layered almond shortcrust pie typically left quantities for the filling and topping to the cook's judgment — the crust ingredients were specified precisely, while apples, nuts, and cream were treated as variables adjusted to the size of the pan and what was available. The original called for half a packet of vanilla sugar, reflecting the smaller, more concentrated vanilla sugar packets common in Central European households of the period. The cream was specified as sweet cream — slatka pavlaka — whipped and then sweetened, which in period usage referred to heavy whipping cream rather than soured cream, a distinction that the recipe's English title obscures.
Modern Kitchen Adaptation
Lard remains in the crust as the historically correct fat; it contributes to the characteristic short, crisp texture. An equal weight of cold unsalted butter may be substituted with acceptable results, though the texture will be slightly less crisp. Strong white flour (high-protein bread flour) is specified in the original and has been retained — it produces a firmer, more biscuit-like crust than all-purpose flour; either can be used depending on the texture preferred. Oven temperature is estimated at 190°C (375°F) / 170°C fan, as the original gave only 'hot oven'. All filling and topping quantities are estimated based on a standard 24–26cm pan: apple quantity, wine, rum, sugar for poaching, nut layer weight, jam quantity, and cream volume. The type of jam is not specified in the original; apricot has been used here as it is the most common choice for this style of pie in the Central European baking tradition. Rum quantity is given as 30ml — original specified no measure.
This recipe is an independent modern adaptation developed from historical sources in the public domain. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional dietary, nutritional, or medical advice. Food preparation involves inherent risks. The reader assumes full responsibility for safe food handling, ingredient sourcing, and adherence to current local food safety guidelines. The site operator accepts no liability for outcomes resulting from the preparation or consumption of this recipe.
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