Apples are the star of the show in this lightly sweetened Italian cake. A perfect dessert for fall when apples are at their best.
I was sent a copy of A Family Farm in Tuscany to review. I was excited to review it because I fell in love with Tuscany when we had the pleasure of visiting a few years ago. It really is a magically land. San Gimignano was one of our favorite hill towns. It’s almost like taking a step back in time.
Sarah Fioroini, the author, is also chef, cooking instructor, sommelier, and manager of their family farm near historic Sam Gimignano. They host guests from all over the world in their quaint farm house. We ate amazing food when we were in Tuscany and I’m looking forward to going back one day. Maybe we can even stay at Fattoria Poggio Alloro and take a cooking lesson or two.
In addition to the delicious seasonal recipes, it’s also a delightful book to read. She details the history of the family and the San Gimignano area. The book captures the beauty of Tuscany, so it’s a feast for the eyes as well. A perfect coffee table book when it’s not with you in the kitchen.
This cake is not loaded with sugar nor fat. It lets the apples shine through. Sarah recommends using apples with a soft flesh, such as Golden Delicious apples. I decided to add a simple cinnamon glaze to sweeten it up for my crowd, but I hated hiding that gorgeous golden brown color.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 1/2 tablespooons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 medium apples, about 1 3/4 pounds, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon water
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan, tapping the pan to remove excess flour; set aside. (I used a 9-inch springform pan and sprayed the pan with cooking spray with flour.)
- Combine the eggs and sugar in bowl of electric mixer. Beat at medium-high speed for 5 minutes, or until pale lemon yellow in color and thickened. Gradually add the flour, milk, and butter stopping to scrape down sides of bowl after each addition. Beat at low speed until each ingredients is blended, then increase speed to medium high and beat for 3 minutes. Add the baking powder and vanilla and beat an additional 2 minutes to blend well.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the apple slices vertically, with the core side down, in concentric circles in the batter, beginning with the outside edge of the pan and continuing to the center. The arrangement of the apples should resemble a rose in full bloom.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 50 minutes (mine was done in about 40 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and apples are lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform pan.
- While cake is cooling, whisk together powdered sugar, cinnamon and water to create a thin glaze.
- Remove the sides of the springform pan and drizzle cake with glaze.
- Serve warm if desired.
Notes
slightly adapted from A Family Farm in Tuscany
If you’re interested in reading about our trip to Italy for our 30th wedding anniversary, I posted a trip report on Fodors.
More apple recipes you might like:
Baked Apple Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, Barbara Bakes
Cinnamon Apple Candy Cane Kolache with Cinnamon Drizzle, Barbara Bakes
Apple Pie Popovers, Doughmesstic
Loaded Apple Cider Oatmeal Muffins, How Sweet It Is
30 Apple Cider Recipes for Fall, Amanda’s Cookin’
Cooking With Chopin, Living With Elmo is hosting a World Tour Blog Hop October 29th through November 2nd featuring recipes from A Family Farm in Tuscany.
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I love to bake, especially cookies, cakes, and pies. I’ll post my adventures in the kitchen, my favorite new recipes, as well as our family favorites.
Barbara: This cake is absolutely gorgeous. I love that the icing glaze looks like lace. Thank you for participating in the book tour!
Sincerely,
Ginny
Fabulous! This cake must taste realy divine. I love that pretty glaze.
Cheers,
Rosa
wow this cake is GORGEOUS!
A beautiful apple cake! My brother gifts me with apples from his market every week, so I’m always looking for things to make with them.
Oh Barbara, I will never, ever see the perfect rise of a cake that you always seem to achieve. Teach me your ways oh wise one!
Thanks Heidi lol – your altitude is a bit higher than mine, so you probably need to adjust your cakes for high altitude baking. It really makes a difference on cakes.
I had to laugh that the first two blogs (yours and mine) participating in this book review decided to make the same recipe. It must show how delicious it is! Your photos are beautiful and it looks like your cake came out wonderful!
Tuscany is one of my favorite places in the world and it looks as though this book catches the spirit of it beautifully. And that cake…wow!
GET. IN. MY. BELLY. That sounds amazing!!
Totally gorgeous Barbara! And thank you so much for the link
Thank you so much Barbara.I really love your post! The cake looks amazing!
I hope you liked my book
Thanks Sarah for sharing your beautiful book with me. I loved your book.
Barbara – Thank you so much for taking the time to review the book and make that glorious apple cake. I love the drizzle you added. That’s what makes cooking so much fun. Sarah and I are so excited about this blog tour. Thank you for participating!
Gorgeous cake, Barbara! And love the Italy pics from the book – sounds like it’s a beautiful book as well as having some great recipes. Love that!
Happy to be a part of the blog tour with you! This cake was one that I had considered making as well. I was so impressed with the recipes and how simple they were. Simple but so good! I think your glaze it applied perfectly and makes it even prettier-great job.
Beautiful cake!
Beautiful! I’m sure you saved me at least two or three slices, right?
I didn’t even get two slices with my crowd. But let me know when you want a slice and we’ll whip up another one.
Hello Barbara
De quoi bien commencer la semaine
Bonne soirée
Val&rie
Looks absolutely gorgeous and delicious. Will try this weekend. This recipe is for Denver’s altitude?
Thanks Anita! I didn’t remember to make any high altitude adjustment and it turned out great. I’m at about 4,500 feet above sea level in Utah. If you’re in Denver you’re probably over 5,000 feet. Here’s a link to the guide I usually go by to make adjustments. http://cityhomecountryhome.blogspot.com/2010/08/high-altitude-baking-and-candy-making.html
Thanks so much.
this cake is a beauty! the apples make it extra special and sweet
What a beautiful cake. I think you perfected it with the glaze.
I’m lucky enough to have been to San Gimignano twice and I loved it. My now husband and I actually had lunch on our 5th anniversary at that very restaurant where your husband (?) is sitting!!
Thanks Claire! So sweet. Fun that you recognized the restaurant from the picture. Not a great picture of my husband but the view out that window is amazing!
I made an Italian apple cake last year and it was similar to this but the recipe was add a bit of batter and a row of apples, more batter, another row of apples and finally the top later. It was delicious. The recipe I had said not to peel the apples but I would have liked it better with peeled apples. I’m definitely going to try this.
So, so gorgeous Barbara! I love the lacy look that you made with the glaze. It looks so simple and feminine. Just like something our Grandma’s would have baked…
Your cake is beautiful and looks delicious! That glaze really adds to it!
Just had to say that glaze is the most beautiful I’ve seen! Well done! The cake also looks fabulous
Lovely photos!
I would love to go to Tuscany – and I would love a slice of this cake!!
The apple cake looks so beautiful with the glaze. Must have tasted divine!
This cookbook as well as the cake look lovely Barbara. In fact I was looking for a new apple recipe as I got few granny smiths here. Now that I got the power back I should hurry and bake before it goes out again!
Hi Shulie – so glad your power is back on. Hope it stays on and all is well so you can bake a cake!
What a beautiful apple cake! I like that it’s not overly sweet too. Love that beautiful golden color!
This looks awesome! I love it. My favourite cake would have to be an apple cake or an orange poppyseed. Nailed it!
This looks really yummy. Onto my favorite recipe list
Bellissima!!!! I love Tuscany!!! Iwas there, so amazing and beautiful places!!! The food, also
)
Just gorgeous! What a wonderful choice. I’ve been to Italy but am longing to travel to Tuscany, especially after reading this book!
This looks fantastic Barbara! It reminds me of a tart I had in Spain that I can’t get out of my mind and I can’t quite replicate either. What a cherished and delicious memory.
WOW – definitely one of the most beautiful apple cakes I’ve every seen. Bravo!
Love your cake, it turned out beautifully. This cookbook really is stunning. I’ve made a half dozen of the recipes so far and have loved every single one of them.
I love Tuscany and this cake. I featured you in my Weekly Rays of Sunshine: http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/weekly-rays-of-sunshine/
Thanks for sharing!
Gorgeous! Funny, I just made an apple cake today and yours is like we love it – not too sweet. I’ll put this one next on my list; a not-too-sweet apple cake is my husband’s favorite breakfast/snack/dessert treat!
This cake looks gorgeous and irresistible!