Name: Easy & Delicious Italian Apple Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 golden apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose or 00 flour (200g); 2 teaspoons baking powder (8g); 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (2g) (sub 1/4 teaspoon table salt); 1 cup sugar (200g); 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (45g); 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (15g); 2 large eggs, room temperature (100g); 3/4 cup whole milk (175g); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g); 2 tablespoons raw turbinado sugar (30g) (sub powdered sugar); 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (2.5g) (sub cinnamon); 15 to 20 raw pecan halves (optional)

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This simple Italian Apple cake is a perfect way to use those crisp, fall apples you picked last weekend (or any apples that happen to be in season right now). It's sweet, super tender, buttery, and full of apple flavor in every bite. As always, I've included step-by-step recipe photos at the end of the post.

a slice of delicious and easy torta di mele Italian apple cake

a slice of torta di mele apple cake with 2 crunchy pecans on top

Why We Love This Italian Apple Cake Recipe (Torta di Mele)

It's ready in just about 1 hour
Super easy recipe for kiddos to help make
Light and fluffy with lots of apple flavor
A great way to use up excess apples
Can easily be made vegan by using all oil & favorite milk alternative

fully baked Italian apple cake with the springform pan removed

delicious and easy torta di mele Italian apple cake

What is Torta di Mele (Italian Apple Cake)?

Torta di Mele is a classic Italian cake filled with golden apples (see photos below of the torta di mele loaf). It's soft, perfectly sweet, and is often flecked with a little lemon zest and vanillin or vanilla extract. It's usually enjoyed as an after-dinner dessert, or with espresso for breakfast. And while it may look totally unassuming, this is one of the best-tasting apple cakes there is.

And the most delicious one I've eaten to date comes from a little pastry shop in Treviso, Italy (the city where Prosecco comes from). It was buttery, filled with delicious golden apples, with a sugary top -- everything you want in an apple cake.

Everything you need to make Torta di Mele or Italian apple cake — Not photographed is the butter! I accidentally left it out of the photo:)

Torta di Mele (Italian Apple Cake) Ingredients

This is a fairly customizable recipe -- you can use all oil instead of butter, heavy cream instead of milk, or even slightly cut down the amount of sugar. I've topped this apple cake with a handful of pecans because we love the added texture and flavor it lends to this cake.

Cake Ingredients

golden apples
all-purpose or 00 flour
baking powder
unsalted butter
vegetable oil
sugar
eggs
vanilla extract
kosher salt

Pecan Sugar Topping Ingredients

raw turbinado sugar (sub powdered sugar)
pumpkin pie spice (sub cinnamon)
pecans (optional)

closeup of just baked beautiful golden brown apple cake

unbaked apple cake before the pumpkin pie spice-sugar mixture and pecans have been added

unbaked apple cake with spices and sugar mixture covering the entire top

unbaked apple cake with spices and sugar mixture covering the entire top and a ring of pecans around the middle

How to Make Torta di Mele (Italian Apple Cake)

I experimented by adding a cluster of julienned apples to the center of the cake. Do NOT do this because it creates an unevenly humid spot right in the center of the cake. In fact, I knew better, but sometimes you just do stupid things when you're baking♡. Instead, tuck in more slices of apples until the cake is covered.

Preheat oven 350°F/175°C. & prepare the cake pan. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan and line it with parchment paper on the bottom and sides.
Make the cinnamon-sugar topping. In a small bowl, mix the coarse raw sugar, pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon) and a pinch of salt; mix until well combined.
Prepare the apples. Peel and slice the apples and place them into a bowl with a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice. Toss to coat and set aside.
Measure the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Cream the eggs & sugar. Using a handheld electric or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and the sugar on high speed for 3 minutes.
Combine the remaining liquid ingredients. Combine the milk, oil, vanilla extract, and slightly cooled melted butter in a small bowl (or directly in your glass measuring cup).
Combine the wet and dry ingredients. With the mixer turned off, add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the sugar-egg mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently combine everything just until a few flour streaks remain. Add ⅓ of the milk mixture and stir gently to combine. Repeat this two more times until all the ingredients are added and gently stir the mixture until no flour streaks remain. *Don't stir too vigorously, or for too long which will activate the gluten too much and create a tough cake.
Assemble the cake & bake. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and add apple slices around the outside perimeter of the cake allowing the tops to remain slightly above the batter. Then work your way around the middle until the entire surface is covered with apples. Sprinkle the cake with the sugar-cinnamon mixture, and top with pecans (if using). Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake to a wire rack and allow it to cool for 5 minutes, then remove the springform pan and the parchment paper and allow the cake to cool to room temperature and serve. Enjoy!