Apple Cake: Torta di Mele

Ingredients

• 4 Granny Smith apples, or other tart apple
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 package instant yeast (baker's yeast)
• Butter and fine bread crumbs, for the baking pan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel and core the apples and cut them into thin slices. Set the sliced apples aside. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, 2 egg yolks, milk, and yeast and stir gently until a batter forms.

In a separate bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they form firm glossy peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, leaving a few white streaks so as not to over-mix the batter.

Lightly butter a 8-inch baking pan then dust with bread crumbs, shaking off any excess crumbs. Lay the apples slices in a decorative manner at the bottom of the pan and gently pour the cake batter in around the apple slices. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour.