This Italian Apple Cake has the incredible fragrance of vanilla and lemon in the classic Italian style.

Whether you like your apple cake for dessert or with a cup of tea or even for breakfast, this cake is it. And because the batter is loaded with apples, this Italian Apple Cake recipe bakes up totally moist and delicious.

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Italian apple cake with a wedge cut and showing the inside.

One of the most delicious Italian desserts is this Italian Apple Cake also known as Torta di Mele. Tender, buttery cake loaded with sweet apples is one of the best combinations.

I love to have a thick wedge this Italian Apple Cake for breakfast with a milky coffee. But it's perfect served as dessert with a spoonful of mascarpone cream or softly whipped cream.

Homemade Italian cakes, like this one, are often very simple with an old fashioned quality. Just like pan di spagna or torta caprese, these cakes are:

easy to prepare
use basic ingredients that are easily available
can be enjoyed as dessert, a snack or breakfast

Ingredients

All purpose flour - regular plain flour is what you need for this recipe. I have never tried 1:1 gluten free flour so I can't make recommendations.
Baking powder - make sure your baking powder is fresh. If you don't use it often, you may want to replace it.
Superfine white sugar - this type of sugar dissolves easily so that no gritty sugar remains.
Unsalted butter - you'll be adding a little salt. If you only have salted butter use that but leave out the salt in the recipe.
Eggs - you need whole eggs. I like free range. Always choose the best quality ingredients you can afford.
Yogurt - plain or Greek is perfectly fine.
Vanilla extract - good quality vanilla extract is essential. Avoid vanilla essence.
Lemon zest - finely grated for the fragrant oils contained in the skin.
Apples - a baking apple is best such as granny smith or royal gala.
Honey - just a drizzle of your favorite variety will be perfect.

Best apples for apple cake

Truly the choice is yours. It is better to use a baking apple. While I tried tart granny smith apples, I preferred royal gala or pink lady apples in this Italian apple cake. Either way, use a baking apple you really like because this cake is loaded with apples. There is no mistaking that this is indeed an apple cake!

My top tip for you is that if you have leftovers store this Italian apple cake in the refrigerator. It is so moist with so much apple through the cake that it will not keep well at room temperature.

And if you have leftover apples, make this delicious Puff Pastry Apple tart - it's so easy! Before dessert give my delicious homemade cavatelli pasta a try, you will love it.

Instructions

Apple cake on round wooden board with apples and icing sugar.

The great thing about this Italian apple cake is the technique used to make it. You can make this cake right now because there is no waiting for the butter to come to room temperature.

There are many methods used to make cakes. This method is one of the easiest and can be made even if you don't have an electric mixer. This Italian Apple Cake is made using the "rubbed-in" method which involves rubbing the fat, in this case butter, into the flour to form fine breadcrumbs. Then the liquids are added which can be by hand or on a low speed with an electric mixer.

Bake next: Definitely try my delicious homemade Cannoli Cake it one of my all time favorites!

Rubbing the butter into the flour is a very common method when making pastry and scones but not as often with cakes. I love this method for making cakes because it is such an easy, no fuss way to have a cake in the oven quickly. The butter is used straight from the refrigerator. Simply cut the butter into small pieces and rub in with your fingertips or using an electric mixer.

Apple slices on top of cake batter drizzled with honey.

Tips for success

Baking cakes is so rewarding but it's disappointing if it's not cooked through. This can happen even if you have followed a recipe to the letter. Sometimes ovens vary in temperature. Or the ingredients were slightly different to the ones used in the original recipe. For example, in this Italian apple cake recipe your apples might be larger or juicer than mine.

So there are few ways to check if your cake is done before removing it from the oven.

Press the top of the cake. Is it set and does it feel springy?
Have a look at the sides of the cake. Is it pulling away from the edges a little?
If your answer is yes to the first two - insert a thin skewer or cake tester into the centre. Does it come out clean with no cake batter clinging?

If the cake isn't done but the time as specified on the recipe is up, then give it another 5 minutes and check again.

Hands holding apple cake in cake pan with white cloth.

Variations

It's so simple to turn this Italian Apple Cake into an equally delicious cinnamon apple cake. Simply add one teaspoon of cinnamon in with the flour, sugar and salt and leave out the vanilla and lemon rind. Other wise continue exactly the same way.

But do try this Italian Apple Cake with vanilla and lemon. I'm like you, I love using cinnamon in baking. Just check out my Italian Apple Crostata. But the vanilla and lemon bring a wonderful freshness and lightness to cake which I know you will love like I do!

This Italian Apple Cake recipe is an easy cake to make particularly if you have not baked a lot or don't own an electric mixer. If you can peel, core and slice apples, you can make this cake.

More cake recipe you'll love

German Plum Cake
Pear Tea cake
Chocolate and Almond cake