Filled apple and chocolate cake: the anti-waste dessert with a guilty heart.
In the kitchen nothing is created or destroyed, everything transforms into something delicious!
My filled apple and chocolate cake was born from a practical need: I had some apples at home that had softened a bit and that no one wanted to eat raw anymore.
Since I already have several variations of the classic apple cake on the blog, I didn’t want to propose something too similar to the previous ones.
I asked myself: what could I add to make it truly special? The answer was immediate: dark chocolate!
The peculiarity of this cake is all in the way it is assembled.
I didn’t mix the fruit into the batter; I created a real “fruit heart.”
To make it, you need to pour half of the batter into the pan, arrange the apple slices covering the entire base, and finally cover everything with the remaining batter, leveling the surface well.
This technique allows the apples to remain enclosed inside, keeping moisture and creating a wonderful contrast with the cake’s softness.
A small tip: I cut the apples into rather large slices and after baking they remained somewhat firm.
If instead you prefer them to become very soft almost like a cream, cut them into thinner slices.
Since the cake is rich and well filled, it requires a gentle, prolonged bake.
My recommendation is to bake in a preheated oven at 338°F (170°C) for about 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Please note: every oven is different, so always test with a wooden skewer before removing from the oven!
The pairing of apples and dark chocolate is an evergreen classic, but in this filled version it reaches a superior level of indulgence.
It’s the ideal cake for anyone looking for a genuine dessert capable of transforming slightly tired fruit into a masterpiece in no time.
Try it and let me know if you prefer crunchy or thin apple slices!
Approx. 340 kcal per person
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes
- Portions: 10 servings
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make the Filled Apple and Chocolate Cake
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (140 g)
- 1/2 cup butter (125 g) (about 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (125 g))
- 3/4 cup whole milk (170 ml) (about 6 fl oz)
- 1 packet baking powder
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (220 g)
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1.21 lb apples (550 g weight without skin and core) (about 19.4 oz, roughly 4 medium apples)
- 2.5 oz dark chocolate 70% (70 g)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30 g)
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 teaspoons powdered sugar (10 g)
Tools
- 1 Pan baking pan
Preparation of the Filled Apple and Chocolate Cake
First, chop the chocolate into pieces, put it in a bowl and mix it with about 1/4 cup (30 g) of flour; this will help prevent the chocolate from sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking.
In another bowl place the peeled apples cut into wedges, then add 1 teaspoon of sugar, the nutmeg and the lemon juice, mixing everything well.
Now prepare the cake base by placing the eggs with the sugar in a mixer and whisking at high speed until the mixture has increased in volume.
Next add the milk, the softened butter, the grated lemon zest, the baking powder and mix at low speed; finally add the flour little by little until the batter is complete.
Once all the ingredients are combined, add the chocolate mixed with flour and stir just enough to incorporate it into the rest of the batter.
At this point prepare a pan with sides at least about 3 inches high (if it’s silicone that’s fine; otherwise grease and flour it).
Pour half the batter into the pan, then add the apples covering the entire base and finally pour the remaining batter over the apples, leveling the cake.
Bake in a preheated oven at 338°F (170°C) for about 1 hour and 5 minutes, checking doneness with a wooden skewer.
When baked, remove from the oven and let cool in the pan until it is slightly warm, then transfer to a serving plate and when completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
