Classic Italian Apple Cake | A Family Recipe

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It is a truth universally acknowledged, that…  once you buy apples at the Gravenstein Apple Fair, cake baking should follow. And so it did. Not only did I bake my family’s favorite apple cake (a well known recipe around Italy) in its original version, but also in an upside down one. You can find out more about the upside down version at the bottom of this recipe.

Both version are equally delicious, and I only have a slight preference for one. Most of all, even in two versions, this recipe is really easy, and the resulting cake is intensely good and satisfying, especially eaten with a side of good vanilla ice cream.

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I just had to open with that line, I am not sure why, but that is what popped insistently into my head when I sat down to write this blog post. Maybe because a friend has recently started reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time (she is not sure she likes it). I am sure they had apple cakes at the Bennet’s table.

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EASY APPLE CAKE RECIPE

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INGREDIENTS

yields: 1 9-inch cake

– 2 eggs

– 150 gr. (5.3 oz.) flour + extra for the cake pan

– 100 gr. (3.5 oz.) sugar + extra for dusting the cake

– 100 gr. (3.53 oz.) butter + extra for the cake pan and dotting the cake

– 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt (a pinch)

– 1 teaspoon baking powder (5 gr.)

– 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

– 80 ml. (ca. 1/3 cup) milk

– 3-4 apples

– powder sugar

– a handful of slivered almonds, if desired

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It is best to start with all ingredients at room temperature.

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You will also need:

1 9-inch diameter cake pan with removable bottom

parchment paper

PROCESS

1. Generously butter the cake pan, line it with parchment paper, then butter and flour the parchment as well.

2. Peel, core and cut the apples. If you are making the original version, you will slice the apples as in the image below.

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3. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C or 357°F

4. In a small bowl, blend the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

5. In a large prep bowl, blend the sugar, salt and butter till creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk until well blended. Add the vanilla extract.

6. Now start adding the flour mixture a little at a time while passing it through a sieve. Alternate with the milk, blending well after each addition, and making sure the flour will be the final addition. Always scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work to avoid any unblended debris.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and level it out evenly, then arrange the sliced apples in rows as shown in the images below until all the cake is covered. Make sure to place the slices of apple close together. If desired, sprinkle a few slivered almonds around the edges.

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8. Dust the top of the cake with some granulated sugar and dot with butter. Place the cake in the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes until golden (image below) and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool to room temperature, then remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a plate.

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Finish by dusting it with powder sugar. Serve with good quality vanilla ice cream and/or some freshly whipped cream.

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Now, about ice cream…
I know there is an obsession with gelato, but as an Italian that is getting frustrated over what is called gelato outside of Italy, let me clear something up. That divine, creamy deliciousness called gelato that everyone obsesses over (with good reason) once they have had the real thing is only available in artisanal Italian gelaterie (ice cream parlors) in Italy. If it makes you feel better, even in Italy, ice cream that is bought from the freezer section at the grocery store is just like the good, creamy ice creams you buy in grocery stores right here in the U.S. – and likely anywhere else.

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In the past few years, I have been sampling various brands of so-called gelato, and I am finding that, in an attempt to imitate that inimitable glorious creaminess of freshly-made gelato, manufacturers are going overboard with adding weird stuff and turning an otherwise good ice cream into something that, to my Italian palate, has a very unpleasant texture, and that I have tossed into the trash more than once.

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My suggestion to you: just buy a good quality basic ice cream without any particular claims and enjoy. Anything that says organic and that lists very few basic ingredients (around five) is usually a good choice. Recently, my favorite ice cream brands available in American grocery stores are:
1. Alden’s Organic (they have 3 versions of Vanilla)
2. Alec’s (also organic). Their Tahitian Vanilla is heavenly!
3. 365 brand by Whole Foods
All of these are delicious and creamy and don’t feature a list of ingredients as long as your arm.

Of course, now I will have to go downstairs and have a slice of apple cake with ice cream to relieve the sweltering heat of this over-the-top hot summer day.

Let me know if you are going to bake this cake and how you enjoy it. I bet it will become a favorite with your family, too.

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ABOUT THE UPSIDE DOWN VERSION: recipe coming soon!

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If you are interested in more cake recipes, you can find them here:

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