ITALIAN APPLE CAKE

RECIPE AND PHOTO SUBMITTED BY Susan McElroy

Here is my Italian Apple cake. Yep, another apple cake! I think I have found my favorite thing to bake! I have always loved apple pie, but for some reason apple cake “takes the cake” for me.  Hope you guys at least try the Norwegian Apple cake recipe! Love it!!

• Susan McElroyhttp://guardmyhealth.wordpress.com/…/italian-apple-cake/ 

   

  Italian Apple Cake

  guardmyhealth.wordpress.com

  Buon Giorno!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 2% milk)
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted plus 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• zest of one lemon
• 4 apples (I used Paula Red)
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup ground roasted almonds* plus a few chopped almonds for topping *Note: I bought almonds already roasted, and ground them in my Magic Bullet nut chopper. If you grind your almonds in a blender, or food processor, do so carefully onpulse, so you don’t end up with powder/flour consistency.

Directions:   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. Butter parchment paper to insert into 9″ springform pan.
2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and ground almonds.
3. Mix together melted butter, eggs, almond extract, and lemon zest.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend well. I used a hand held whisk to blend. No need to use an electric mixer.
5. Peel, core and chop apples.
6. Mix together 3 tablespoons lemon juice with 1 teaspoon sugar.
7. Add chopped apples to lemon juice/sugar mix and toss.
8. Pour half cake mixture into pan and cover with half chopped apples.
9. Pour remaining cake mixture on top and cover with remaining apples.
10. Sprinkle a few chopped almonds on top. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and drizzle over nuts. Bake in oven for 50-55 minutes.  ENJOY!

• Alexandra Lim is ground almond in the recipe the same as almond flour?
• Susan McElroyAlexandra Lim, actually, you put the almonds into a food processor or blender on pulse setting, or in my case I put the nuts into my Magic Bullet that grinds up nuts. If they are ground too long they will have a powder or flour consistency.
• Alexandra Lim so you want it to be a bit grainy?

• Susan McElroy It actually is not grainy at all. It is like having crushed nuts mixed in the cake. No different than chopped walnuts or pecans, but chopped very small. I think because the recipe is rustic, the crushed/ground almonds give texture to the cake.
• Susan McElroy I am getting ready to make a Jewish apple cake next. I will also post the recipe with pictures after I do.
• Julie Chalfant Capes Love apple pies too. We have some apples from our trees about ready to be baked, canned, sauced up, jellied , whatever I can make out of apples.
• Susan McElroy You are very blessed Julie! I don’t have apple trees, so I have to buy them at the grocery store. I would love to can apples to have on hand any time I wanted to make another apple cake. I was at the grocery store today, and the Paula Red apples are go…See More
• Betty Robb Lansford I cannot wait to try this recipe!
• Susan McElroyBetty Robb Lansford My favorite so far is the Norwegian Apple cake. Second the German apple cake and third the Italian apple cake. Any one is very good though. Hope you try one!!!