Apfelkuchen

½ cup raisins

2 cups boiling water

½ cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¾ cup milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

½ cup white sugar

½ cup melted butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. Soak the raisins in boiling water while the oven preheats.

Cream together 1/2 cup butter or margarine with 1 cup sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one, then add the almond extract and milk. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the creamed butter to form a loose dough.

Divide the dough in half and press each half into the bottom of a prepared cake pan, bringing it slightly up the sides. Drain the raisins and scatter them over the dough. Arrange the apple slices in a spiral pattern over the raisins, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and drizzle with 1/2 cup of melted butter or margarine.

Bake in preheated oven until apples are soft and the dough is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.