Ferrara apple cake, a very simple homemade recipe to make a classic and delicious dessert. Among all the apple cakes I have proposed here on the blog, this is one of my favorites, because it is soft, moist, and contains a lot of apples. Moreover, it is quick to prepare, and the dough is very light, without butter or oil. The recipe is taken from an old issue of La Cucina Italiana (February 1956), which featured two versions of the apple cake, proposed by Mrs. Baiamonti, a housewife from Ferrara. Try this delicious recipe, it’s really simple!
Here you can find other apple desserts:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8-10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 129.49 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 28.36 (g) of which sugars 18.55 (g)
- Proteins 2.69 (g)
- Fat 0.96 (g) of which saturated 0.44 (g)of which unsaturated 0.43 (g)
- Fibers 1.82 (g)
- Sodium 41.15 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 80 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs apples (golden or renette)
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs (large)
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cups milk
- lemon zest
- lemon juice (for the apples)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- butter (in small pieces, for the top)
- brown sugar (for the top)
Tools
- Cake pan 9.5 inches
- Parchment paper
- 2 Bowls
- Mixer or stand mixer
- Grater
Preparation
Wash and peel the apples. Slice them into thin, even slices or chop them into pieces, place them in a bowl, and sprinkle with lemon juice.
Using the mixer (or stand mixer), beat the eggs well with the sugar.
Mix the sifted flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and the grated lemon zest in a separate container.
When the eggs are fluffy and pale, gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk. You will get a soft batter-like mixture.
Line the cake pan with parchment paper and pour the batter into it.
Arrange the apple slices slightly embedding them and arranging them as desired.
If you chopped the apples into pieces, mix them directly into the batter (after draining them) and pour everything into the cake pan.
Finally, sprinkle some butter pieces and a dusting of brown sugar on top.
Place the cake in a static oven at 347°F and bake for about 45 minutes. Always do the toothpick test, bearing in mind that the cake will still be a bit moist inside.
The Ferrara apple cake is ready, let it cool slightly before removing it from the mold.
Once it has cooled, you can slice and serve it.
Tips and Notes
The butter on top is optional, but I recommend using it as it makes the top more golden and fragrant.
You can flavor the batter with vanilla or cinnamon.
Baking times can vary significantly depending on your oven, the cake pan used, and the moisture level of the apples… always check with a toothpick.
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