Torta di Mele (Apple Cake)
Of all the Italian cakes, this is probably the one everyone makes. My husband calls it the mother of all Italian cakes. Once fall hits, this is the cake of the moment. I love it made with Golden Delicious apples and served with a cup of tea.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 (175 g) all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tsp (6 g) baking powder
- 3 medium apples
- juice of 1 lemon divided
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp (204 g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp (86 g) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup` + 1 tbsp (195 ml) 2% milk, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C), then grease and flour an 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.
- Peel the apples, then chop 2 apples into bite-size cubes and put them in a small bowl. Toss the apple cubes with two-thirds of the lemon juice and two-thirds of the cinnamon.
- Thinly slice the remaining apple and put the slices in another small bowl. Toss the apple slices with the remaining one-third lemon juice and the remaining one-third cinnamon.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff , 2 to 3 minutes.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1 cup (192 g) of the sugar on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and beat for 2 minutes. Beat in the milk and add the flour a little at a time, beating between each addition, until completely combined.
- Fold in the egg whites and when the mixture is well combined, fold in the chopped apples. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, top the batter with the sliced apples, brush the apples with a little additional milk and sprinkle them with the remaining 1 tablespoon (12 g) of sugar.
- Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool before serving.