Cake 'Little Apple'

Preparation of the base: We start by preheating the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. We prepare the cake pan by greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour to prevent the base from sticking. In a large bowl, we cream the cheese well until we obtain a fluffy mixture. We add the sugar, grated lemon zest, and vanilla sugar, mixing continuously. As the mixture becomes homogeneous, we add the eggs one at a time, ensuring that each egg is well incorporated before adding the next.

After we finish with the eggs, we begin to gradually incorporate the flour, previously mixed with cocoa powder and baking powder. This will give us a soft and aromatic base. Once we have obtained a uniform mixture, we pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake it in the oven for 45 minutes at low heat until it is nicely browned. After baking, we let the base cool completely, then cut it into three equal slices. From one side, we cut out two leaves and a stem for our apple, while the other two parts are cut into the shape of an apple, using a cardboard template to ensure we have precise shapes.

Preparation of the filling: In another bowl, we mix the cheese with the apple jam and sugar until we obtain a homogeneous mixture. Separately, we whip the cream until it becomes stiff and fluffy. We take one-third of this whipped cream and add it to the cheese mixture, mixing gently to avoid losing air from the cream. In the remaining whipped cream, we add grated chocolate, combining them delicately.

Filling the cake: We take one part of the apple-shaped base, lightly soak it with Calvados or a preferred syrup, then spread half of the cheese cream on it. On top of this cream, we add the remaining whipped cream mixed with chocolate. We place the other apple-shaped base over this filling and add the rest of the cheese cream. Finally, we decorate the cake with thin apple slices that have been soaked in lemon juice for a few minutes to prevent oxidation.

The leaves cut from the base are dusted with powdered sugar, and with the help of a toothpick, we lightly trace the veins of the leaves for a pleasant appearance. The stem can be sprinkled with cocoa and placed along with the leaves at the end of the filled apple shape, giving an attractive and tasty final appearance. Enjoy this delicious and visually appealing cake that will surely impress anyone who tastes it!