Pit and roughly chop the dates, place them in a bowl, and pour the boiling water over them. Let soak for 10 minutes. Ingredients for this step:

Wash the apples, remove the cores, and slice them thinly. Place them in a large pan with 1 tablespoon of water, about one third of the cinnamon (and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, if desired), and simmer over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan/convection) or 200°C (top/bottom heat) and grease the cake pan with butter or a little oil. Scoop off half of the date soaking water and set it aside (it will be needed later). Finely mash the soaked dates with a fork until smooth.

Mix the flour, remaining cinnamon, ground almonds, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Separate the eggs, add the yolks to the dry ingredients, and beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with a pinch of salt until stiff.

Add the date purée, the remaining date soaking water, and the rapeseed (canola) oil to the batter and mix well. Gradually add the milk while stirring. Then gently fold in the beaten egg whites, followed by the apple slices.

Pour the batter into the greased springform pan and smooth the top. If desired, sprinkle sliced almonds over the surface. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 180°C (fan/convection) or 200°C (top/bottom heat).

After baking, let the cake cool for 10–15 minutes before carefully removing the springform ring. Allow it to cool for another 10 minutes, then serve. Store any leftover cooled cake in the refrigerator.