Cream Cheese Apple Cake

This is not a throw-it-together-on-a-whim kind of cake. This is the one you bring out when you want people to remember dessert.

A buttery crust lines a springform pan, then gets layered with a rich cream cheese filling, thinly sliced apples fanned across the top, and a lemon-kissed custard poured over everything.

Chopped pecans finish it off before a long, slow bake turns all those layers into something that’s part cheesecake, part apple tart, and entirely irresistible.

It takes some patience, about two and a half hours in the oven, but the result is a bakery-level dessert with a golden crust and custardy center that slices like a dream.

Chef Tips

• Wrap the springform pan in foil to prevent any butter from leaking out during the long bake. Nobody wants a smoky oven.
• Slice the apples thin, between ⅛ and ¼ inch. Thick slices won’t cook through in time and you’ll get crunchy apple chunks in your custard.
• Cover the top with foil halfway through baking to prevent the pecans and apples from getting too dark before the custard sets.
• Cool completely in the pan before removing the springform ring. Rushing this step will crack the custard top.