I made this apple flower cake in a “mini” version using half the amount of batter, just to have a little cake perfect for two or three people… but don’t worry: below you’ll find the full quantities, so you can make it in a large size whenever you want!
I sliced the apple very thin with a mandoline and immediately submerged the slices in lemon juice so they stay bright and don’t brown while arranging them into petals.
The result is a soft cake, extremely fragrant and very impressive — ideal for an elegant breakfast or to wow guests with very little effort. Try it right away and let me know how it turned out!
To make it even more indulgent and turn it into an end-of-meal dessert, you can serve it with a delicate crème anglaise: the contrast between the soft cake and the velvety custard is truly irresistible.
📸 [Here’s my photo 
and the recipe for the crème anglaise]
Would you like to receive one sweet and one savory recipe every day directly to your phone?
Subscribe to my WhatsApp channel “La cucina di ASI”: zero spam, just delicious inspiration from Monday to Friday!
Click here to subscribe now! https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaHbGIn9cDDig7Cw2x0F
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 8 Servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
DOUBLE THE QUANTITY SHOWN IN THE PHOTO — PAN 20/22 CM
- 3 apples (sliced very thinly)
- 1 2/3 cups type 00 flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 3/4 cup ricotta (about 200 g)
- 3 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (I usually use corn oil, but choose what you prefer)
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (about 140 g)
- 1 packet baking powder (1 packet (about 2 teaspoons))
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lemon (zest only)
- to taste powdered sugar (for dusting)
Tools
8–9 inch pan
- Baking Pans
- Hand Whisks
- Bowls
- Lemon Zesters
- Mandolines
A delicious, super-soft and quick recipe
First of all, wash and slice the apples very thinly with a mandoline, putting them in a bowl and drizzling them with lemon juice to prevent browning.
In a bowl, put the sugar and eggs and whisk quickly by hand.
Then add the vanilla extract, the grated lemon zest, the ricotta, the flour and the vegetable oil.
Mix everything very quickly, also adding the baking powder and stirring until you obtain a homogeneous batter.
Using a spray or brush, grease the cake pan and pour in the batter.
Now, taking 2–3 apple slices at a time, arrange them in the batter, pressing them in slightly and creating a flower spiral.
(NB. I used more apple slices for each petal because with the mandoline they are very thin and I wanted to create a flower that wasn’t too light and that wouldn’t lift too much from the batter, otherwise it would turn into a mess instead of a flower!)
All that’s left is to bake in a conventional oven at 347°F (175°C) for about 40–45 minutes, but always consider differences in your home oven.
When baked, let the apple flower cake cool — it will be soft and fragrant — and dust lightly with powdered sugar to make it even more tempting!
Enjoy your meal and happy cooking! Annalisa
P.S. As soon as I took this cake out of the oven I tried to keep it whole to take two photos… but no luck: Andrea swooped in like a hawk and cut a slice while it was still warm, even trying to grab the apple petals! I didn’t even have time to tell him “wait, I need to finish the photos!”. But look how beautiful the inside is: soft, moist and aromatic, with that apple flower that makes it irresistible. A simple cake that, I tell you, disappears in no time.
SOURCE: recipe by Nicoletta Parisi, read on FB
The apple flower cake keeps perfectly for 2 to 3 days at room temperature, under a cake dome or well covered. If it’s very hot, better keep it in the refrigerator, taking care to bring it back to room temperature before serving: this way it will recover all its softness!
