Italian Apple Cake Recipe
Easy Italian Apple Cake (torta a le mele) is a simple moist dessert, breakfast treat, or afternoon tea cake. It's made with creamy yogurt, butter, and fresh apples with a little cinnamon, and is a recipe the entire family will love my nonna's recipe for this easy dessert!
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 3 large baking apples peeled if desired, diced or sliced
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- ½ cup butter melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- confectioner's sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Line a 9 1/2-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the sugar and eggs until you obtain a creamy and fluffy texture, about 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in the yogurt, butter, and vanilla extract. Use a fork or spatula to combine until smooth (not the electric mixer).
- Sift the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt) until combined into the bowl of the wet ingredients.
- Stir gently until wet and dry ingredients are well combined. Add the apples and mix gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too much on top, tent it with with foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Cool on a wire rack and dust with confectioner sugar. If desired, serve each slice with freshly whipped cream. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don't skip the yogurt. It adds moisture and fat to the cake batter, making it moist. The acidity of the yogurt works with the baking powder to leaven the cake, making it extra tall and super fluffy. It's the secret ingredient in this Italian apple cake!
- Let the ingredients come to room temperature before mixing up the batter. This will help everything incorporate smoothly and give you a better textured cake.
- Choose a tart, firm baking apple such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Jonagold for the best results. Either dice or slice the apples depending upon your desired presentation--and only peeling them if you feel like it! The skins add a lovely burst of color and flavor.
- The moisture of the apples may vary the cooking time a bit. You may need to add 10 minutes depending on how juicy the apples are.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 327IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1mg
