Filled with diced apples and topped with more apple slices, Torta di Mele (sometimes called Italian Apple Cake) will undoubtedly satisfy all your ‘apple cravings’. Enjoy it with coffee, tea, or with your favorite dry and sweet wine!
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Similar to Torta della Nonna, this easy Italian dessert goes by various names:
- Tuscan apple cake
- Torta di Mele
- Italian apple cake
- Rustic apple cake
However you decide to call it, the bottom line is it’s delicious and so quick to prepare. So, you can serve it for coffee breaks, dessert, or even breakfast.
IF YOU WANT MORE AUTHENTIC TUSCAN DESSERTS, THEN YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT THESE POSTS!
Ingredients
- Flour – you only need all-purpose flour for this torta di mele recipe.
- Eggs – needs to be at room temperature.
- Butter – cut in small bits since you will add it randomly on top of the cake.
- Milk – I strongly suggest full cream milk.
- Sugar – regular white sugar is excellent for this rustic cake.
- Lemon – you would only be using the outside of the lemon for this cake recipe.
- Baking powder & baking soda – use whatever brand you have available; just don’t forget to sift them together with the flour.
- Apples – I always use red apples for this rustic cake. I’ve never used green ones because they’re a bit tangy, and I’d rather not add more sugar to balance the taste.
Preparation
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C (350°F); prepare your cake pan by greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour. Set aside.
Sift all the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and baking powder (photo 1).
In a separate bowl, combine eggs and sugar (photo 2).
Mix until it becomes creamy — about three minutes in the high setting of a hand mixer.
Add lemon zest and a third of the sifted dry ingredients (photo 3).
Mix and add a third of milk; continue mixing and repeat until all the dry ingredients and milk have been added.
Pour cake batter into the prepared cake pan.
Add the bits of apples, spreading them randomly on top of the cake batter (photo 4).
Arrange the thin slices of apples on top, following the pan’s round shape (photo 5).
Add bits of butter, placing them randomly on top of the apples.
Sprinkle with the remaining sugar (photo 6).
Place your cake pan in the oven for forty to forty-five minutes.
Set aside for at least twenty minutes to cool, then remove the cake from the pan.
Sprinkle your torta di mele with powdered sugar (if desired), then serve.
Helpful tips
- Do not rush the creaming of eggs and sugar. It helps create more air in the cake, so mixing it for about three minutes is good.
- It’s ok to chop the apples when you’re about to add them into the cake batter. You don’t need to be precise in chopping, and with this approach, there’s less oxidation in the apples because you add them right away.
- This Italian apple cake recipe is excellent for either an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan.
FAQs
Well, for this rustic cake, you should.
It does not matter how thin the apples’ skin is; it will always be harder than the insides. So, you have to remove the skin so the apples will soften more, making every bite better.
I generally use Royal Gala or Pink Lady — red apples are the best kind you can use to make this Italian apple cake.
If you really want to use the green ones, you need to adjust the amount of sugar in the batter to balance the cake’s tanginess and sweetness.
Absolutely.
Although, if it’s longer than overnight, it’s safer to store it in the refrigerator instead —which will be good for about five more days.
So what do you think? Cannot wait to try this Italian apple cake? Do it this weekend, and let me know in the comment section! 🙂
📖 Recipe
Torta di Mele Recipe (Italian Apple Cake)
Ingredients
- 1 & 3/4 cups flour, (plus more for dusting)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 medium eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar, (plus 1 tsp for dusting)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 lemon, grated zest
- 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, half chopped into small bits and half chopped thinly
- 2 tbsp butter, unsalted, diced and chilled (plus more for greasing)
- 1 tsp powdered sugar, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Preparing equipment:
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Grease your 8-inch cake pan with butter and dust it with flour.
Preparing cake batter:
- Using a medium bowl, sift and combine all the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- In a separate bowl, combine eggs and sugar and mix until it becomes creamy — about three minutes in a hand mixer's high setting.
- Add lemon zest and a third of the sifted dry ingredients.
- Mix and add a third of milk; continue mixing and repeat until all the dry ingredients and milk have been added.
Baking torta di mele:
- Pour cake batter into the greased cake pan.
- Add bits of apples, spreading them randomly on top of the cake batter.
- Arrange the thin slices of apples on top, following the round shape of the pan.
- Add bits of butter, placing them randomly on top of the apples.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp of sugar.
- Place your cake pan in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Set aside for at about 20 minutes to cool, then remove the cake from the pan.
- Sprinkle your Italian apple cake with powdered sugar, if preferred.
- Serve.
Notes
- Cook’s Tip #1: Do not rush the creaming of eggs and sugar. It helps create more air in the cake, so mixing it for about three minutes is good.
- Cook’s Tip #2: It’s ok to chop the apples when you’re about to add them into the cake batter. You don’t need to be precise in chopping, and with this approach, there’s less oxidation in the apples because you add them right away.
- Cook’s Tip #3: This Italian apple cake recipe is excellent for either 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan.
Sonal
Loved your post. So many tips and questions answered. I love apple cake. This looks delicate and delicious 🙂
tisha
Great simple recipe! Looks delicious and can’t wait to try it!
georgie
I’m obsessed with apple cake and this looks heavenly!! I love your step by step recipe instructions too!
Hannah Healy
This looks so good! I love apple anything!
Linda
Thanks for all of the tips you provided to make this cake. Fall is around the corner, so will definitely want to try this recipe.
Kristine
This apple cake is just gorgeous! This is the perfect recipe for fall baking – oh, who am I kidding, I’m baking all year, I’ll bake this next week! LOL! Looks fab!
BTP
Made this today. It was very dense. Yes all ingredients were used. I’m in Northern Italy so maybe air quality. But it’s tasty.
Lola
Just took mine out of the oven…it puffed up and over one side of the pan a bit, but it looks and smells delicious. One question: How do I get it out of the pan without completely demolishing it?
Lena
I put 1/2 cup ricotta chees instead of the milk and my cake was not flyffy and moist it was like gluish type
I was upset anyway Will follow receipt
I bought a very nice cake in the store and I thought to do something but it seems that I really need to put some oil in this recept