Preheat the oven to fan assisted 150C / 170C/ 340F / gas 3 and lightly oil 3 lined 20cm round cake tins.
Add the apples along with the water and 50g of the caster sugar in a pan over medium heat and cook for about 15 mins till the apples have almost turned into a puree. Set aside and let cool.
Add butter and remaining sugar in a bowl, and cream with an electric handheld mixer until light and fluffy.
Then beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure to beat the mixture well after each addition before beating in the almost pureed apple.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and orange peel in a large bowl and then fold in the wet ingredients.
Divide the mix equally among the 3 prepared tins, sprinkle the almonds on top of one of the cakes and bake in the hot oven for 30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 mins, then transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the whipped cream by mixing the cream, sugar and cardamom together in a large bowl and whipping till the cream forms soft peaks.
Spread half the whipped cream on the top of a plain topped cake, place the second plain topped cake on top and cover with the remaining whipped cream. Then top with the almond covered cake, sprinkle on some icing sugar, slice and serve.