A few years ago, while traveling along the Prosecco Road in Veneto, we enjoyed some unforgettable meals tucked between tastings at local cantinas. After one leisurely lunch, we decided to indulge in something we rarely order: dessert. We chose a rustic apple cake made with ground almonds, served warm with a scoop of vanilla gelato. From the very first bite—moist, tender, and full of delicate slices of apple—I knew this was a recipe I had to recreate at home.
My version stays true to that memory, pairing the natural sweetness of apples with the nutty richness of almond flour for a cake that is as simple as it is elegant. You’ll want to choose baking apples that hold their shape in the oven, such as Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Winesap, Fuji, or Pink Lady. I most often use Fuji, since they’re easy to find at my local market, and their crisp texture means the slices stay distinct and beautiful in the baked cake.
Finely ground almond meal gives the crumb its tender, moist character. If you can’t find it ready-made, you can easily grind blanched almonds in a food processor until very fine. For serving, a scoop of vanilla bean gelato makes a lovely nod to the original inspiration, but a dollop of cinnamon-spiced whipped cream is just as delightful. When offering the cake for breakfast or an afternoon treat, I prefer to keep it simple with a light dusting of powdered sugar. However you serve it, this rustic cake always feels like a special occasion.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Ingredients
- 4 Baking Apples, Peeled, Cored, & Thinly Sliced
- 2 Medium Eggs
- 1 1/2 Cups Sugar, Divided
- 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/4 Cups Almond Flour
- 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/3 Cup Whole Milk
- 3 Large Eggs Yolks At Room Temperature, Beaten
Topping:
- 3 Tablespoons Sliced or Finely hopped Almonds
- Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 10-inch springform pan with baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs along with 4 tbsp sugar at medium speed until light in color, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the melted butter and vanilla, and beat a minute or two until blended.
- In another bowl, stir together the two flours, remaining sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until blended.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture alternately with the milk, and beat after each addition just until blended.
Remove 1 cup of batter, and whisk together with the three egg yolks. - Stir the apples into the 1 cup of batter and egg yolk mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup of apples slices for the top.
- Spread the egg and apple batter into the prepared pan, then top with remaining batter.
- Arrange the remaining apple slices in an attractive manner on top, then sprinkle the top with the chopped almonds or almond slices.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly. (Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil if it begins to brown too much.)
- Cool 15 minutes, then remove from pan.
- Let cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar, slice and serve.
Notes
Adapted from French Apple Cake by BakedFromScratch.com
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 448Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 225mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 4gSugar: 42gProtein: 8g