Alessandro's Torta di Mele
After nearly 20 years of baking (I started prestissimo, at 13) and over a decade living in Italy, I’ve observed the sort of parallel universe between Italian and American sweets. Or rather: you can have the same basic dessert, with two very different takes, in an Upside-Down, alternate reality kind of way (the Dessertverse?!)
Take the cookie, for example: in the U.S, our cookies are usually soft, gooey, and buttery, embellished with everything from chocolate chunks, peanut butter, or even rainbow sprinkles. In Italy, on the other hand, biscotti err on the side of understated and simple, with a crisper, sturdier texture that makes them perfect for dipping in coffee or even wine — think less-is-more lingue di gatto, brutti ma buoni, and cantucci. In the Summer, America’s ice cream flavors — cookie dough! peanut butter cup! — are enjoyed Sundae-style over a brownie, with hot fudge sauce and whipped cream…standing in stark contrast to a chic cone of Italian gelato, in straightforward flavors like pistachio or dark chocolate. Italy prefers to eat pie in the form of an uncomplicated, crostata di marmellata, or jam, while the U.S takes things over the top with everything from indulgent pecan chocolate chip to banana cream pie. The verdict: America tends to be a bit more extravagant and no-holds barred when it comes to their sweets, while Italy errs on the side of low-key, chic, and unadorned. It’s a less is more vs too much is never enough sort of approach, and I have to say that I love both takes equally.
I’ve already shared a few recipes for apple cake on the blog, all of which fall squarely into the U.S baking camp. As with most American-style apple desserts, they’re brimming with cinnamon, ginger, and other warming spices, topped with glazes, streusels, or even cream cheese frostings.
This, however, is not that sort of Apple Cake.
Italy also loves their apple cake — called Torta di mele — but, naturally, their recipe varies greatly from the American one within the Dessertverse. The classic version eaten in my adopted country does away with any embellishments or frills, with the exception of a dusting of powdered sugar upon serving; it also skips over the spices and the vanilla extract American recipes call for. Instead, torta di mele is vaguely lemony, and with no cinnamon or ginger in the mix to obscure the flavor, also intensely apple-y. The texture is light and fluffy, thanks to a larger than usual amount of baking powder in the recipe, and extremely tender, due to the large heap of apples tipped into the batter. Torta di mele toes the line between indulgent breakfast/snack and chic dessert, and is even better eaten the next day, when the apple juices have had time to sink into the cake. Bonus: if you’re not up for making an apple pie next Thursday, this torta di mele would make a lovely addition to your Thanksgiving spread.
Last thing: as the title of this post suggests, this recipe hails from my very talented friend Alessandro, whose mom baked this torta di mele for the family when he was growing up. Alessandro is a chef, baker, and overall master when it comes to pizza, pasta, and bread, and you can follow him on IG here. Keep an eye out on Instagram for his newest pasta-venture, opening in York, UK in the next few weeks.
A couple of notes: Feel free to use all white sugar instead of the half brown/half white sugar mentioned below. If you want to make this cake simpler, leave out the apple slices on the top and put them into the cake in chunks. Finally, use renette apples for this recipe — this cake relies heavily on an intensely apple flavor, and these are the right apples for job.
Looking for other autumnal recipes? Click here.
Looking for other apple desserts? Click here.
Looking for other simple cake recipes? Click here.
ALESSANDRO’S TORTA DI MELE
Serves 8-10.
Ingredients:
125 grams (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
125 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) white sugar
125 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) light brown sugar (see notes above)
3 eggs
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
250 grams (2 cups) flour
3.5 grams (1/2 teaspoon) salt
10 grams (2.5 teaspoons) baking powder
125 grams (1/2 cup) whole milk
3 large renette apples, peeled; half cut into chunks, the other into slices
9-inch springform pan, buttered
Powdered sugar, for serving
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius).
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well-combined. Add the lemon juice and zest.
Next, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, beating until just combined. Add 1/2 the milk and combine, and then 2/3 of the dry ingredients, the rest of the milk, and the last of the dry ingredients. Stir in the apple chunks. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and then arrange the apple slices decoratively on top.
Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached. Let cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy.
