Italian Apple Cake

Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 9 inch (23cm) springform pan with a little butter, line the base with baking paper then set aside.

Peel and core the apples, cut them into quarters, then cut each quarter into 4 or 5 slices. Place the slices in a bowl, squeeze over the lemon juice, and toss to coat the apples. Set them aside while you prepare the batter.

Cream the butter and castor sugar until it becomes pale yellow and light in texture. Add the eggs one at a time, blend until fluffy, then add in the vanilla extract. Combine the flour, cornflour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add these dry ingredients into the butter and egg mixture. Blend slowly to incorporate both.

Divide the apple slices into two portions, one of about 2/3 and the other of about 1/3. Cut the larger portion of apple slices in half, then fold them into the batter, including any juice from the bowl. Leave the remaining apple slices aside to be used on the top of the cake.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with an icing spatula or the back of a large spoon. Arrange the remaining apple slices in a circular pattern on top of the cake. Gently press the slices down so that they partially sink into the batter. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon and reserved 2 teaspoons sugar.

Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let it cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the ring from around the cake. Let the cake cool another 20 - 30 minutes. Just before serving, dust the cake lightly with the icing sugar. Serve the cake warm or cooled, you can add ice cream or whipped cream if you're feeling indulgent Torta di mele, enjoy