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–+ servings
Italian apple cake on a glass dish dusted with powdered sugar, close‑up view

Italian apple cake recipe (torta di mele)

This rustic Italian apple cake is soft, fragrant, and loaded with fresh apples, lightly scented with lemon and vanilla in true Italian home‑baking style. Made in just one bowl with simple pantry ingredients, it’s the perfect wholesome treat for breakfast, merenda, or a cozy fall dessert.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Breakfast, cake, Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12 people
Calories 411 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Glass bowl
  • 1 Spatula
  • 1 Flour sifter
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 Vegetable peeler
  • 1 9‑inch springform pan
  • 1 Wooden spoon or whisk
  • 1 Small saucepan (to melt butter)

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 lb Apples *3 large apples
  • 3⅓ cup All purpose flour or Flour 00
  • 6 Eggs
  • 1 ⅕ cup Granulated white sugar
  • 2 ¼ sticks Unsalted butter
  • ½ cup raisin
  • 1 tbsp Baking powder
  • 2 tbsp Brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1 Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 Pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the apples. Wash and dry the apples well. Peel them, cut them into quarters, remove the core, and slice them thinly.
  • Prevent browning. Squeeze the lemon juice over the sliced apples and toss with your hands to coat evenly. Remove any lemon seeds.
  • Melt the butter. Gently melt the butter over very low heat. Avoid boiling. If using a microwave, heat for 30 seconds, then in 15‑second intervals until melted.
  • Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Do not overmix.
  • Add the sugar. Stir in the granulated sugar until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon if you like a stronger spice flavor.
  • At this point, add the dry ingredients: the flour, a pinch of salt, and the baking powder.
  • Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until fully absorbed and the batter becomes smooth and creamy.
  • Add the raisins and mix to combine.
  • Line your spring form pan with parchment paper.
  • Pour in the batter and roughly level the top with a spatula.
  • Preheat the oven to 356 °F.
  • Arrange the thin apple slices on top of the batter, forming concentric circles as you like.
  • Mix one teaspoon of cinnamon with two tablespoons of brown sugar.
  • Using your hand, sprinkle the cinnamon‑sugar mixture evenly over the apples.
  • Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out completely clean. This means the cake is ready.
  • Do not bake for more than 50 minutes or the inside may become too dry.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly.
  • Remove the sides of the springform pan and transfer the cake to a cooling rack to finish cooling. If you prefer to serve it warm, transfer it to a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Notes

  • Storage: keep your apple cake with raisins and cinnamon covered at room temperature for about 3- 4 days.
  • Adding apples to the batter: you can add small apple cubes directly into the batter, but this will make the cake more moist inside, so it should be eaten sooner.
  • Drier version: if you prefer a slightly drier cake, perfect with warm milk in the morning, the apples on top are enough.
  • How to line your spring form pan: cut a circle of parchment paper for the base and a long strip for the sides. Lightly butter the ring of the pan so the parchment sticks to it. This keeps the paper in place when you pour in the batter and prevents the cake from sticking.
  • Preventing leaks: if your spring form pan is older or tends to leak, wrap the outside with a layer of aluminum foil before baking.
  • Smoother release: once the cake has cooled slightly, run a thin knife around the edge before opening the spring form ring. This helps release the apples cleanly.
  • Thicker cake: if you want a taller, bakery‑style cake, you can double all the ingredients. Use a deeper spring form pan and remember to increase the baking time, it will need almost double the time to cook through. Start checking with a toothpick after the 70–75 minute mark and continue baking until the center comes out clean.

Nutrition

Serving: 150g | Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 556IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg

Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.

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