Torta di Mele - Italian Apple Cake

Perfect for teatime, this soft cake also makes for a delicious Italian breakfast or a scrumptious after dinner dessert.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

4 eggs
250gr/8oz/1 cup caster sugar
250gr/8oz/2 cups plain flour
1tbsp baking powder
500gr/18oz apples (use sweet apples like 'Golden Delicious')
125ml/2/3 cup milk
75ml/1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 lemon
1tsp vanilla extract 
1tbsp butter, to grease pan
icing sugar, to decorate


Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a 23cm/9in springform pan with butter and dust it lightly with flour. 

Grate the rind from the lemon, cut it in half and squeeze the juice.

Quarter, core, peel and chop the apples and toss them in the lemon juice (so that they don't go brown) and set them aside.

Place the eggs, sugar, lemon rind and vanilla extract into a bowl and whisk until smooth and pale yellow in colour. Stir in the milk and the oil.

Sift the flour and the baking powder into the bowl, stir until well blended and smooth. Add the apples and gently fold into the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 50mins/1 hour. To check that the cake is done insert a skewer in the middle. If the  skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready.

Allow to cool for 15mins. Remove from the pan and place on a serving dish. Finally, dust with icing sugar.