Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius.
Use a small amount of butter to grease the bottom of a 8-inch springform pan, then dust with flour.
Prepare the topping by combining sliced almonds, butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a mini-food processor and pulsing until the almonds are chopped into very small pieces (about 6-8 pulses). Set aside.
Now start the cake. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe container, such as a glass measuring cup, then set aside to cool slightly.
Peel apple and chop into roughly ¼-inch dice.
Combine the dry ingredients for the cake in a large bowl (flour, almond flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder).
In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla extract.
Then pour the slightly-cooled butter slowly into the smaller bowl as you whisk.
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined, then stir in chopped apples. The batter will be very thick, almost like cookie batter.
Pour into the springform pan and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the almond crumb topping over the top.
Bake 35-40 min, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out almost clean and the top is nicely browned.
Let cool on a rack. Cut gently around the edges of the springform pan before unmolding, then slice and serve!
Notes
Expert Tips:
When making the topping, use quick pulses with your food processor rather than turning it on and letting it run. That way you can see how the chopping is progressing, and stop before turning the almonds into almond butter. If you don’t have a mini food processor, you can also chop almonds by hand, then stir in the sugar and cinnamon.
When combining the liquid ingredients for the batter, be careful that your butter isn’t too hot. If you dump hot, just-melted butter into eggs, you might curdle them—in that case, the eggs will seize up and start to cook, and you will be left with a lumpy mixture with pockets of cooked egg.
If you don’t have an 8-inch springform pan, use a 9-inch springform pan. In that case, your cake will not be as high, and will cook a bit faster. Check it after 25 minutes. You could also use an 8- or 9-inch cake pan (or even pie plate), but keep in mind that you may need to ruin the first slice a little to get it out of the pan. Because of the streusel topping, you can’t just flip the cake out of the pan and back right-side up again. Be sure to butter and flour the sides and bottom of your cake pan to help the slices come out easily.
Make-Ahead Instructions:
This cake keeps well for several days, as the almond flour helps it maintain moisture. Store at room temperature, covered with foil, or in an airtight container. When you’re ready to serve, heating a slice up in the microwave makes this cake even more delicious.
You can also freeze this cake by cutting it into slices, then freezing slices either individually in plastic wrap, or placed together in a freezer-safe container. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.