I think I would be tempted to put whipped cream on top.

Since it's a Russian recipe, it would be fun to make it with Duchess of Oldenburg apples if you could find them at a local orchard or farm market (or if you grow them). Despite the German-sounding name, this apple was bred in Russia around 1700, and is also a tart apple very good for cooking. Granny Smith would be a good substitute, though.

*drool*

I gotta try it.

I used a combinations of apples I had on hand, mostly pink ladies and galas. It was delicious. I added some chopped almonds and some almond extract.

I will be making this again for sure. Just a hint, the batter is very thick. I put a thin layer of batter on the bottom of the pan before I put the apples in. When I did pour the batter in I moved it around the apples a bit to make sure it was distributed. I also think the nuts and almond extract were vital to the recipe. Another option might be to add even more cinnamon.

I wished I had some whipped cream...That would have made this spectacular

They do sound like a good addition here.

I'm guessing about a third to a half a cup. Next time I will mix them with some cinnamon and maybe a pat of butter to make a paste. It might be nice to have a rich nutty swirl going through. The cake is delish as is but a little richness couldn't hurt. As it is the only fat comes from the eggs. You could make this pretty much fat free and use egg substitute.

This sounds so good. I will definitely be giving it a try. I'm thinking it would be a great brunch item.

thank you for that picture

It was outstanding, although not particularly easy. I added about 1/2 cup of sliced almonds, and 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. After removing from the pan, I sprinkled it with a bit of cinnamon (no powdered sugar), and served it slightly warm.

It tastes a bit like a baked (German) apple pancake, and a bit like a cake. It smells absolutely marvelous.