Easy Apple Cake Recipe: A Delicious and Classic Italian Dessert
You will find a lot of dishes throughout Italy involving apples, but this one is a favorite of ours since it can be eaten for breakfast or dessert. The dense and sweet cake filled with soft pieces of apple pairs perfectly with a morning espresso and is loved by adults and kids!
Apple Cake
Servings: cake
Equipment
- 22 cm diameter mold
Ingredients
- 2 lbs apples (preferably a more tart apple)
- 7/8 cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup whole milk (room temperature)
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- pinch of salt
- powdered sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355 degrees.
- Melt the butter and set aside.
- Grate and juice the lemon into separate bowls then set aside.
- Peel the apples then cut them in half and remove the core. Cut the halves again so you are left with four pieces then cut the pieces up into slices.
- Toss the sliced apples into a bowl and sprinkle in the lemon juice, making sure to mix well. Set aside.
- Next, sift the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Crack the eggs open into a clean bow. Add a portion of the sugar and start whipping with an electric whisk. Continue adding and mixing the sugar little by little.
- When the mixture lightens up, add the pinch of salt and continue whipping until a light and frothy dough is created.
- Continue lightly mixing while adding the melted butter, ground cinnamon, and lemon zest. Mix it together for half a minute then add the sifted flour/baking powder mixture one tablespoon at a time.
- Once everything is well combined, lower the mixing speed and pour the milk in. When the milk is completely mixed, stop the whip. Your dough is ready!
- Drain the apples to remove the lemon juice and pour them into the dough. Gently fold them into the dough to incorporate them thoroughly.
- Optional: you can also add raisins if you want to add a little more to it!
- Grease a 22 cm cake tin and sprinkle with sugar before pouring the dough in.
- Place the cake into the oven and cook for 45 – 55 minutes.
- When it's done in the oven, take it out and let it cool completely before removing it from the pan. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and enjoy!
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Finally, an apple cake that’s not overly sweet. Tart apples and lemon are the secret! Will make again.
Delicious apple cake – new family favorite for sure!
The recipe was clear and the result, scrumptious. I had a little trouble getting it to look as gorgeous as it does in the picture but my baking abilities are pretty rusty these days.
The aroma, the taste – everything about this apple cake is irresistible! It’s a gem of a recipe.
I’ve tried many apple cake recipes and this one is definitely top-tier! It had a nice, even crumb, and the apples remained juicy and flavorful. The lemon juice and zest kept everything fresh, and the cinnamon added a nice, subtle warmth. The powdered sugar dusting was the cherry on top. This will be my go-to apple cake recipe from now on.