"This thin, elegant dessert [adapted from four seasons of Italian Cooking by A.J. Battafarano] is between a cake and a tart. The apple slices are bound by a custard that gets wonderfully caramelized on top."
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan and wrap the bottom in foil so it doesn’t leak.
Measure milk into a microwavable measuring cup. Cut butter into pieces and add to milk. Microwave for a minute or two, until butter is just melted. Set aside to cool. [I used a pan on the stove top]
Peel, core and quarter apples. Slice apple quarters into thin slices, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. This can be done by hand or with a food processor.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with a wire whisk until sugar is dissolved. Stir in flour, then add milk-butter mixture and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Quickly stir in baking powder, then fold in the sliced apples.
Pour mixture into pan and place pan directly on the gas oven floor for 10 minutes. Transfer pan to the center rack and bake until cake is well browned on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about an hour longer. (If you have an electric oven, place the pan on the lowest rack for the entire cooking time.) Place the cake on a cooling rack. When cool enough to handle, run a thin knife around the cake and remove springform ring. Serve warm. Makes 8 to 12 servings.