I

n Indonesia every family has its own secret way of making pisang goreng (banana fritters). Here in Italy, and in Europe in general, almost every household has its favorite foolproof apple cake recipe as the fruit is available and affordable all year round.

This one is from my mother in-law Niva. She rarely bakes cakes but when she does it is usually this apple cake. I copied this recipe from her notebook, dated some time in 1979, and it has always been a great success! It never hangs around for more than a day in the kitchen because everybody asks for a second, if not a third, slice.

The best apples to use for baking are crisp and slightly acidic ones, such as Granny Smith’s or Golden Delicious apples, because they retain their texture even after cooking. Indonesian apples such as Manalagi from Malang are also great.

This recipe is also a good way to use those wrinkled and unappealing old apples that have been laying around in your fridge for ages.

Makes 8-10 servings

Apple cake:

3 crisp apples

5 tbsp (100 g) caster sugar

1 egg

16 g of baking powder

7 tbsp (140 g) flour

7 tbsp (70 ml) milk

Sugar crust glaze:

1 egg

1 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

5 tbsp (100 g) caster sugar Mix egg with sugar and whisk until dissolved.
Combine flour with baking powder and pass through a fine sieve to prevent lumps. Combine with the egg-and-sugar mixture.