Sicilian Apple Cake| Italian Apple Cake - Recipe Winners (2024)

Jump to Recipe

We’ve updated our post but the good news is, it’s still the same wonderful Sicilian Apple Cake recipe. From the day we published this cake it’s been a firm favourite. So we hope if you’re only just discovering Sicilian Apple Cake or if it’s been a firm favourite of yours for a while that you’re as delighted with this cake as we are.

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Sicilian Apple Cake is an easy cake to make. In fact, it’s more a little bit of batter holding loads of sweet sliced apples, raisins and toasted pine nuts altogether. Finished off with a good dusting of sugar and cinnamon, and you’ve made a cake that is a winner.

The apples melt into the batter creating an almost custard like filling, and the raisins become all ‘jammy’ and sweet. The pine nuts add a little crunch all the way through the cake along with the walnut crust on the outside. Making our Sicilian Apple Cake not only delicious but a cake with a wonderful texture that makes every bite a new adventure.

This cake is very moist, and delicious served both hot or cold. Serve with some softly whipped cream for a superb dessert.

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Pantry

eggs
plain flour (all purpose)
sugar
milk
baking powder
vanilla essence
butter
cinnamon
icing sugar

Shopping List

toasted ground walnuts
pine nuts
raisins
apples (we used pink lady)
lemon

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What Is The Best Apple For Apple Cake?

Using an apple that falls into the cooking apple catergory is a great choice as they are known for holding their shape and not turning to mush.

  • Granny Smith – is known for being crunchy, fresh, and juicy they’re perfect for juicing, baking, and stewing.
  • Bramley – is very acidic and is generally not consumed raw for this reason. Bramleys come into their own when cooked to make sauces, pies, crumbles, and even apple jellies.
  • Braeburns – are a beautifully crisp apple that has a concentrated flavour and bakes well.
  • Jonagold – is tart with a honeyed sweetness. They hold their shape when cooked, but do not store well.
  • Honeycrisp – are super crisp and guaranteed to hold their shape.
  • Winesap – are intensely flavoured with cider notes and are another great choice as a cooking apple.
  • Pink Lady – has sweet-tart notes and holds its shape well during cooking. Check out our Apple Tarte Tatin with Star Anise and Black Pepper for another show-stopping recipe using Pink Lady Apples

You can use whatever apples you like, but we chose to use Pink Lady apples as they hold well and they added a lovely sweet taste to the Sicilian apple cake.

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The Batter

Don’t stress the batter is supposed to be very thin when made. Pour a third of it into the tin, then top with a third of the apple, raisins and pine nuts, and repeat, finishing with a layer of apples, pine nuts and raisins sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar on the top.

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Better The Next Day

We think this cake is lovely on the day it is made but even better after it has been refrigerated. Because there is so much apple the cake holds better once chilled.

How Long Will Apple Cake Stay Fresh?

With such a high fresh apple content it’s best to store this little beauty in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days as the apples are likely to ferment if left at room temp. Perhaps we could change the name to Apple Cider Cake…….. Just joking. 😂

Watch How To Make Sicilian Apple Cake

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What’s your favourite apple cake recipe? We would love to hear from you in the comments below when you make Sicilian Apple Cake.

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Yield: 12 serves

Sicilian Apple Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Sicilian Apple Cake is any easy, moist cake to make. In fact, it's more a little bit of batter holding loads of sweet sliced apples, raisins and toasted pine nuts alltogether. Finished off with a good dusting of sugar and cinnamon, and you've made a cake that is a winner!

Ingredients

  • 120 g butter, melted(4 ounces)
  • 50g walnuts, ground - optional(2 ounces)
  • 4 large pink lady apples (weighing around 200g / 7 ounces each) peeled, cored and thinly sliced
  • lemon zest finely grated
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 250g caster sugar(8 1/2 ounces)
  • 150 g plain (all purpose) flour(5 1/2 ounces)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 100 ml full cream milk(3 1/2 fl ounces)
  • 100 g raisins(3 1/2 ounces)
  • 70 g lightly toasted pine nuts(2 1/2 ounces)
  • 3 tablespoons extra caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar - optional

Instructions

  • preheat oven to 190c (375 f) on bake, not fan
  • use some of the melted butter to generously butter a 24 cm (9 1/2 inch) cake pan - see notes below
  • generously sprinkle ground walnuts on base and sides if using
  • peel, core and slice the apples thinly
  • toss apple slices with lemon juice and zest and set aside
  • whisk the eggs, vanilla and sugar together for 2-3 minutes till pale and creamy
  • now add the butter, flour, baking powder and milk mixing thoroughly (batter is quite thin)
  • pour one third of the batter into the pan
  • now top with 1/3 of the apples, pine nuts and raisins
  • repeat with remaining ingredients, then finish with a layer of apples, pine nuts and raisins
  • sprinkle combined sugar and cinnamon over the top of the cake
  • bake for 55 minutes, then allow to cool for 20 minutes in the tin
  • remove cake from tin and sprinkle with icing sugar
  • enjoy!

Notes

  • Don't use a spring form tin unless you really like cleaning your oven as the batter is very thin and could easily slip through the base and onto the floor of your oven. 😢

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 324Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 69mgSodium 171mgCarbohydrates 44gFiber 3gSugar 38gProtein 4g

Nutritional information provided here is only intended as a guide.

Cooper

Cooper has found another dam full of mud to swim in. Aargh!

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Related Recipes

  • Apple Blueberry Crumble Cake

  • Brown Butter Apple Cake

  • Apple Frangipane Tart

  • French Apple Cake - Easy

Sicilian Apple Cake| Italian Apple Cake - Recipe Winners (2024)

FAQs

Why does my apple cake fall apart? ›

Why Did My Apple Cake Fall Apart? There are two main reasons why an apple cake would fall apart: (1) it was simply too warm when you were trying to cut and serve it or (2) you used too many/the wrong kind of apple.

What is the best apple to use in a cake? ›

According to New England Today, the best apples for baking are firm-tart apples, and firm-sweet apples. Firm-tart apples are apples like Granny Smith, Esopus Spitzenburg, Northern Spy, Ida Red, and Pink Pearl. Firm-sweet apples are Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Jazz, Jonagold, and Pink Lady.

Why is apple cake called apple cake? ›

Apple cakes are cakes in which apples feature as a main flavour and ingredient.

How to bake a cake without it falling apart? ›

Solution: Line the bottoms of your pan with parchment paper.

By lining the bottom of the pan with parchment, you give yourself some added insurance that the cake will slide out after cooling. (Running a sharp knife between the inside of the pan and the cake is a good idea, too.)

What apples should not be used for apple pie? ›

There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

Should you refrigerate apple cake? ›

In warm climates it is better to store the cake in the fridge. The cake can be removed from the fridge an hour before serving to let it come back to room temperature. The cake could be left to cool completely and then iced, but you would need to omit the flaked almond topping.

How do you fix a dry apple cake after baking? ›

Soak your cake in milk or cream.

Simply brush on a few tablespoons of milk or cream to the top of your dry cake or, for a truly indulgent finish, follow recipes like one-bowl tres leches poke cake, baked and soaked in a combination of whole milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk.

Can you leave apple cake out overnight? ›

How long can cake sit out unrefrigerated? If your cake is frosted with buttercream, it will last covered at room temperature for up to four days. However, it is best to refrigerate cakes with other frostings such as cream cheese or ganache. A fully covered unfrosted cake will last for up to 2 days at room temperature.

What is the healthiest oil for baking cakes? ›

Canola oil is the most popular baking oil as it's stable at high temperatures, is cost-effective and has a very natural flavour. It also has only 7% saturated fat and contains omega-3s. Choose organic where possible even if it's a little more pricey.

Why is it called depression cake? ›

Depression Cake, also known as Wacky Cake or War Cake (among other names), originated in the Great Depression. It is a cake made without milk, eggs, or butter. These were all ingredients that were hard to come by during the Great Depression and at wartime.

Why is it called Elvis Presley cake? ›

Before it's served, you'll add a layer of cream cheese frosting and sprinkle candied pecans on top for some crunch. Internet lore would have you believe this pineapple-topped concoction was Elvis Presley's favorite cake, that he even asked his grandmother to make it for him as a kid.

How do you keep fruit cake from crumbling when cutting? ›

Here are some additional tips that may help:
  1. Chill the cake before cutting. This will make the cake easier to cut and less likely to crumble.
  2. Use a serrated knife. ...
  3. Wipe the knife clean between cuts. ...
  4. Cut the cake slowly and carefully. ...
  5. Use a toothpick to help you cut the cake.
Apr 21, 2022

Why did my fruit cake turn out crumbly? ›

Overmixing: Overmixing the batter can develop excess gluten, resulting in a crumbly texture. Mix until just combined to avoid this. Incorrect Measurements: Accurate measurements are crucial for baking. Use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients by weight for consistent results.

Why does my fruit cake fall apart? ›

This can happen for a variety of reasons ranging from type of flour, not enough eggs/wrong size eggs, not enough liquid or fats and even storage. 'Causes of crumbly fruit cake'.

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