This simple, lemon-scented Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake has the most tender crumb with layers of unexpected flavour coming through thanks to extra-virgin olive oil and creamy ricotta. A lovely treat all by itself or make it more elegant topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
We are still in the thick of apple season and there’s a reasonable chance you have more than a few sitting somewhere on your counter or in your crisper drawer. If you do, I’m here today to encourage you to use up two, or three to make this simple Italian olive oil apple cake. It’s a rustic, incredibly moist, golden crumbed cake with a humble list of ingredients that is a breeze to make.
Dotted throughout with delectable apple chunks, olive oil and whole-milk ricotta ensure it stays spongy, moist, and tender for days. Lemon zest perfumes it ever so slightly, and because it is gently sweetened it can be enjoyed for breakfast as well as dessert. We love it just as is but I imagine it would be great with a dollop of whipped cream, or even a little jam on the side.
A Very Special Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake
If you grew up with an Italian Nonna in your life, she will have made you an apple cake. I recently wrote a recipe for an Italian Apple Cake for the Fulgor-Milano blog (the Italian appliance company I partnered with). It is a version of the classic apple cake that my children’s Nonna used to make for them. It is soft and fluffy and absolutely worth making, especially if you love butter-based cakes. Once that recipe is published, I will include the link here so you can check it out.
In the meantime, I thought I’d share a version of a somewhat less traditional Italian apple cake with you here. It’s slightly denser, perhaps a little more rustic, but still has a wonderful tender crumb. Both equally simple to make, I’d have a hard time choosing which apple cake I love most.
For this recipe, a good fruity olive oil and some creamy ricotta replace the butter and milk contributing loads of flavour and creating a heavenly crumb. It tastes better the next day as the apples absorb all the flavours and the olive oil keeps the cake beautifully moist and tender for longer than butter ever could.
Once baked, this golden Italian olive oil apple cake is lightly dusted with icing sugar just before serving. It is simply glorious served as is with coffee or tea for breakfast, or for a cozy mid-afternoon snack. Or, you can fancy it up for an after-dinner party dessert with a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just lovey.
Ingredients & Notes
- Apples – In Italy, Golden Delicious apples are the most common variety used for apple cakes. They aren’t too sweet, and they also don’t fall apart when baked. If I find nice ones, this is what I will use. I also love this cake with Gala apples, Honey Crisp, or Granny Smith if you like your cake a little tart.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – You don’t need to use a really expensive olive oil for this cake but it should be a good olive oil. Not too heavy, or too dark, would be ideal. If it tastes good for dunking bread, it should be perfect for your cake.
- Ricotta – Whole-milk ricotta, preferably one without any fillers or preservatives, would be best. If you live in Ontario near a Farm Boy grocery store, I really like their own brand ricotta. It’s super creamy and has no fillers.
- Eggs – Here, we’re using 3 eggs to make the cake nice and airy with a bit of substance.
- Sugar – I go pretty conservative on the sugar with only 2/3 cup. It’s how Iike it, if you prefer your cakes a little sweeter, feel free to use 3/4 cup.
- Lemon juice and zest – The juice is to keep the sliced apples from turning brown, and the zest is to flavour the cake.
- Cinnamon – Just a pinch to lend a bit of warming flavour.
- Flour – I find all-purpose flour keeps this Italian olive oil apple cake nice and airy so I haven’t tested with other flours. That said, I’m sure swapping out a small portion for some spelt or rye would be just fine.
- Baking powder – To help give this cake a nice rise.
- Salt – Just a pinch.
How To Make Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake
For my apple cakes, I like to use diced apples in the batter, and sliced ones to top the cake. Feel free to use all sliced apples, if you prefer.
Make this cake once and I think you’ll agree the beauty of this apple cake lies in its simplicity and it shouldn’t take you longer than 15 minutes to assemble together.
Here’s how you make it:
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch (26cm) springform pan and set aside. You can use a deep cake pan if you don’t have a springform pan just make sure to grease it well or line it with parchment paper.
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Peel, core, and dice two apples, thinly slice the third apple and place in separate bowls. Drizzle all the apples with the juice of a lemon and give them a quick stir. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand held mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and creamy. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil followed by the ricotta. With the mixer on very low, add in the flour mixture and mix only a few seconds until combined.
- Use a spatula to fold in the diced apples along with the lemon juice. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly across the top.
- Arrange the sliced apples on top in a circular pattern as I did, or in any pattern you wish.
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Bake the cake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
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Remove the cake from the oven, allowing it to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then remove it from the cake pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar.
Tips To Bake The Best Cake
- Use room temperature ingredients. Otherwise, the ingredients will not mix as well.
- Use a springform pan or a deep cake pan that is 2 to 3-inches high on the sides. Alternatively, split the batter between two 8-inch cake pans and reduce the cooking time to 35 to 45 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing and dusting with icing sugar.
- The apples should be peeled. Otherwise, you will find pieces of peel throughout the cake.
To Store And Freeze
The apple cake keeps well for a few days on your kitchen counter, lightly covered with plastic wrap or in a cake dome. After two days transfer to the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
It also freezes beautifully. Once completely cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap then place in a ziplock bag, or freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat gently in the oven to bring to room temperature.
More Apple Recipes To Try
If you give this Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!
Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- Butter, or oil to grease the cake mould
- 2 cups (250g) cups all-purpose flour plus extra to dust the pan
- 2 teaspoons (9g) baking powder
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 lemon
- 3 apples such as Gala, Honey crisp, or Golden Delicious
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2/3 cups (150g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (110ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup (200g) whole milk ricotta not fridge cold, if possible
- icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch (26cm) springform pan and set aside. You can a deep cake pan if you don't have a springform pan just make sure to grease it well or line it with parchment paper.
- Finely grate the lemon and place the zest in a small bowl - set aside.
- Peel, core, and dice two apples; thinly slice the third apple and place in separate bowls. Drizzle all the apples with lemon juice and give them a quick stir. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand held mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and creamy. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil followed by the ricotta. With the mixer on very low, add in the flour mixture and mix only a few seconds until combined.
- Use a spatula to fold in the diced apples along with the lemon juice. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly across the top.
- Arrange the sliced apples on top in a circular pattern, or in any pattern you wish.
- Bake the cake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then remove it from the cake pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. Otherwise, the ingredients will not mix as well.
- Use a springform pan or a deep cake pan that is 2- to 3-inches high on the sides. Alternatively, split the batter between two 8-inch cake pans and reduce the cooking time to 35 to 45 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing and dusting with icing sugar.
- The apples should be peeled. Otherwise, you will find pieces of peel throughout the cake.
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