Apple Cake (Torta di Mela) is a delicious dessert. Personally, I love it for breakfast. I love to use olive oil in cakes. For this recipe I use the Extra Virgin Olive Oil that I harvest from my home in Tuscany.
Ingredients (Serves 8)
Ingredients
9 Inch Springform Pan
Butter to Grease the Baking Pan
3 Eggs
⅔ Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 tbsp. Lemon Zest
3/4 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour, sifted
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
⅛ tsp. Salt
4 Apples (About 1.3 lbs-I Use Honey Crisp). ****See note below on slicing.
1/3 Cup Pignoli Nuts, plus 1 Tbsp. to Sprinkle Over the Top of the Cake
Confectioners Sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 350. Put the rack in the middle of the oven. Grease the pan well with butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and grease that as well.
In a small bowl, sift the flour. Set aside.
APPLE SLICING NOTE: Peel 4 apples. Slice 4 pieces around the core. They slice 3 of the apples into very thin half moons like shapes and then cut in half again. These will be for the inside of the cake. For the 4th apple, slice into very thin half moon like shapes and save for decoration on top of the cake.
In a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar using the whisk attachment until the mixture becomes light and pale. Add in the olive oil, vanilla, lemon zest and cinnamon.
Slowly add in the flour and combine. Sprinkle in the baking powder and salt. And mix until combined. Be sure not to over mix.
Next fold in the apples and pignoli.
Pour the batter into the pan. Decoratively top the batter with the other sliced apple and sprinkle on the 1 tbsp. of pignoli.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool.
Remove the outer part of the springform pan and sprinkle on the confectioners sugar and serve.