Because peeled apples begin to oxidize quickly, I like to have everything set up and ready to go before working on them. So, preheat your oven to 350° F / 180°C and butter or grease a 9” springform pan and set it aside. Zest and juice a lemon and set both aside for a moment.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons baking powder and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, add ¾ cup white sugar, 10 tablespoons softened butter cut into pieces, and the lemon zest. Cream the butter and sugar at medium speed for 4-5 minutes.

Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon almond extract and optionally some of the lemon juice (no more than a teaspoon) and mix into the creamed butter for about 1 minute. Now add 3 large eggs, one a time, mixing about 30 seconds between each one.

To prepare the apples, peel 3 Granny Smith apples one at a time, then cut in half from the top down, and cut each half in half again so that you have 4 equal quarters.

Using a paring knife or melon baller, core out the center of the apple pieces to remove any seeds or extra skin. Now place the apple quarters center part down and make lots of thin, deep slices without cutting all the way through the apple.

As you finish each apple, brush them with the lemon juice to help them from browning. Repeat each step for 3 of the apples, reserving an unpeeled 4th apple just in case you need it.

Now that the apples are ready, begin adding the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 2-3 increments, alternating with adding the 2 tablespoons of whole milk and mixing on low speed between each addition. Mix until the cake batter just comes together and don’t overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and use a rubber spatula to spread it out evenly. Now place the apple quarters, sliced sides up, around the edges of the pan and in the center. Try to keep the apples close together and don’t push them down into the batter, just place them on top and give a gentle nudge where needed. The cake will bake and poof up between the apples so trust the process.

Place the springform pan in the center of the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when done and the top should just start to brown.

If topping with the apricot jam, warm 2-3 tablespoons in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to thin it out. As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, brush the apricot jam over the top of the cake.

When the pan is cool enough to handle, you can open it and transfer the apple cake to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, add 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar to a fine mesh strainer and sprinkle all over the top.

Slice and serve the cake at room temperature or slightly warmed with a good dollop of schlagsahne (whipped cream) or vanilla ice cream and some coffee.