Apple Cake

October 13, 2022

„The One True Apple Cake” by Letitia Clark truly is wonderful.

Soft and moist with lots of apples, exactly how I like it.

It comes from her latest cookbook „La Vita è Dolce”, and the only thing I’ve changed is the quantity of sugar, as per my personal preferences (apart from simplifying for me the method of making it).

  • 170 g of butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
  • 5 baking apples (I really like sour apples but use the ones you can buy or really like)
  • 190 g of sugar plus some more for sprinkling
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon (you may not use all the lemon juice, it all depends on the sweetness of the apples)
  • a pinch of salt
  • 4 eggs (Letitia adds 3)
  • 100 ml of plain yogurt (full fat)
  • 30 ml of light olive oil or seed oil
  • 1 level tablespoon of baking powder 
  • 250 g of plain flour, sifted 
  • icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease a 23-24 cake tin and line with baking parchment.

Peel and core 3 1/2 of the apples (you could leave the skin on if you wish) and cut them into small chunks.

Slice the remaining apples into crescent-shaped wedges to decorate. It’s best to do it as a last, decorative step.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the apples to stop them from going brown.

In a large bowl start beating, using an electric mixer, the eggs with the sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt, beating at a high velocity all the while.

Now pour in the yogurt and olive oil. Lower the speed and carry on whisking.

Gradully add the flour and then softened butter, piece by piece.

Now fold the baking powder.

Finally add the chopped apples along with some of the juices, and mix gently.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin, decorate with the apple slices and sprinkle over some sugar, about two teaspoons.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 40-50 minutes, until it has risen and turned golden in colour. Insert a skewer to check if it’s done.

Allow to cool for 10-20 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.

Dust with icing sugar and  serve, preferable still warm