Torta di Mele (Italian Apple Cake)

Ingredients

• 6 Golden Delicious apples or other eating apples (Peel all; chop 4 apples into small cubes and cut the remaining 2 into half-moon slices for the topping.)
• 1 Large lemon (Use the juice to coat the apples and the zest from the whole lemon for the batter.)
• 3 Medium eggs
• 150 g Caster sugar (Plus extra for sprinkling over the apples.)
• 100 ml Semi-skimmed (2%) milk (The source describes this as a scant 1/2 cup.)
• 100 g Unsalted butter (Melted and cooled to room temperature.)
• 300 g Plain (all-purpose) flour (Sift into the batter.)
• 16 g Baking powder (Sift into the batter with the flour.)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• Icing (confectioners’) sugar (For dusting before serving.)
• Caster sugar (Extra for sprinkling over the assembled cake; amount not specified.)

Steps

1. 1

   Peel all six apples. Chop four apples into small cubes, then cut the remaining apples into half-moon slices for the top of the cake.

2. 2

   Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the prepared apples and mix thoroughly so the lemon juice coats all the pieces and helps prevent browning.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, add the caster sugar and crack in the eggs. Whisk until the mixture is well combined.

4. 4

   Add the melted butter, cooled to room temperature, and the milk. Whisk again until combined.

5. 5

   Sift in the flour and baking powder. Add the zest of the whole lemon and the vanilla extract, then mix thoroughly until the batter reaches a smooth, even consistency.

6. 6

   Stir the chopped apple cubes into the batter until evenly distributed.

7. 7

   Pour the batter into a cake tin.

8. 8

   Arrange the apple half-moon slices over the entire surface, starting at the outside edge and working inward to create the decorative pattern.

9. 9

   Sprinkle a little extra caster sugar over the apples so they caramelize as the cake bakes.

10. 10

    Place the cake on the middle shelf of the oven and bake until it is nice and golden all over. The source does not specify an oven temperature or baking time.

11. 11

    Remove the cake from the tin and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.

12. 12

    Dust the cake all over with icing sugar immediately before serving.

Notes

The source does not provide the oven temperature or baking duration; bake until the cake is golden all over. The cake may be served for breakfast, as a snack, or as a dessert.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cake
• baked
• Italian
• Sardinian
• vegetarian
• sweet
• breakfast