The best apple torte is always fresh, spongy, airy, springy, and of course, layered with apple slice, after apple slice!
We seriously love baking this recipe, because with apple torte, there’s no messing around with pastry. It’s as easy as whipping up a quick cake batter with eggs, butter, and flour, then slicing up your favorite apples (hello, Red Delicious and Granny Smith!).
Add in the sugar, and you’ve got yourself a sweet, spongy apple torte that’s a wonderful coffee-style apple cake or an excellent dessert (top tip: this apple torte goes particularly well with a big dollop of ice cream).
Keep reading as we explain how to prepare the most delectable of apple tortes at home.
Is there a difference between an apple tart and an apple torte?
Before we start listing the ingredients and delving into the baking instructions, though, you might be wondering if we’re talking about a tart or a torte? Is there even a difference?
There is, in fact, a big difference between a tart and torte - and to clarify, we’re talking about thetorte,not thetart!
Tortes and tarts are both baked goods, but a tart is prepared using shortcrust pastry, while a torte is not prepared using shortcrust pastry. It’s a simple but major difference, because while the apple tart is crispy and crusty, the apple torte is prepared with what amounts to a cake batter (in fact, it would be easier if this dish was called theapple torte cake, to better distinguish it from the crusty tart).
Both have similar apple toppings, however, and are baked to the same shape in a pie dish. For dessert aficionados, though, these are two very different styles of baking!
How to Make an Easy Apple Torte
Now that we’ve cleared up the torte-tart business, let’s take a look at what goes into making delicious torte desserts. There are various recipes for this apple cake because there’s a long history behind the dessert.
You’ll find various variations which hail from Italy, France, or Germany, for example. Some have more sugar, some are more savory (some even have cream cheese in the recipe), but we’ve kept ours simple - it’s just an easy apple torte, American-style!
You won’t need cream cheese for our recipe, but you will need the best apples for baking, as well as a deep pie or cake dish. Let’s take a look at the major components of an apple torte.
Torte cake batter
The base for your apple torte cake is the batter, and you’ll need a good whisk (an electric whisk is the easiest option!) to get the best texture for the torte.
To make the batter, you’ll need to whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, melted butter, and eggs. We also like to flavor the batter with a little bit of lemon zest and vanilla extract before sweetening it with sugar.
There are several other ways to vary the batter, most notably the Bavarian style of apple torte. This style mixes cream cheese into the cake batter for a savory cream cheese finish.
Apple slices
The apples are going into the batter, but they first need to be sliced then softened in a skillet. This is a dessert, so we suggest using a combination of different apple varieties for the best results. You’ll need at least 3 large apples to cover the torte cake, and we recommend a combination of sweet and tart.
Our suggestion below is 1 large Granny Smith (a classic, tart cooking apple) and 2 Red Delicious apples. You can also try Honeycrisps, Jonagolds, or Golden Delicious apples. The choice is wide and varied when it comes to apples.
Whichever apples you go for, they’ll need to be peeled, then cored using an apple peeler, before being thinly sliced.
Apple torte toppings
Once your apple torte has been baked, it’s best served fresh and warm (let it cool a little, of course, first). While it’s great on its own, there are lots of toppings you can try out that make it that little bit better.
A few of our top toppings include the following:
- Ice cream
- Whipped cream
- Heavy cream
- Applesauce
- Applebutter
- Maple syrup
- Caramel sauce
- Chocolate sauce
- Cream cheese
Apple Torte Recipe
The following recipe prepares enough apple torte for at least 8 servings.
Ingredients
- 3 large apples (1 Granny Smith and 2 Red Delicious)
- ⅔ c of all-purpose flour
- ½ c of unsalted butter
- ½ tsp of baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 extra egg yolk
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- ¾ c of granulated sugar
- ½ tsp of grated lemon zest
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and buttering up a 9-inch pie or cake dish. You can line the bottom of the dish with parchment paper to stop the apple torte from sticking while in the oven.
- Next, you need to prep your apples. Wash, then peel and core the apples before using a sharp knife to slice them thinly. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a skillet or pan, then add your apple slices and simmer for a minimum of 10 minutes on medium heat. When the apples have started to soften, turn the heat off.
- Now it’s time to prepare the torte batter. Mix together flour, baking powder, and a dash of salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat together 2 eggs and the extra egg yolk in a separate mixing bowl, then combine with 6 tablespoons of melted butter, vanilla extract, sugar, and a little lemon zest for flavor.
- Add the flour mixture into the same bowl as the egg mixture, then combine everything together with the slightly cooked apple slices.
- Add your apple torte batter to the buttered cake dish, then place in the preheated oven to bake for 35 minutes.
- Once cooked, allow your apple torte to cool before serving with your favorite toppings!
Apple Torte Recipes FAQ
How do I know if my apple torte is cooked through?
Apple torte should only take 35 minutes to cook, but you can tell by performing the classic toothpick test. Take a toothpick, and then poke it into the middle of the torte. If it’s cooked through, it will come out clean. If it’s not, then the uncooked batter will stick to the toothpick when it’s withdrawn.
You might find that the top of the torte is cooking too quickly. If this is the case, you can place tin foil over the top of the torte to stop it from burning. Remove the tin foil towards the end to brown the top of the torte.
How long does apple torte cake last?
Apple torte is wonderfully fluffy and spongy when it’s served fresh, but we understand that you might not have enough room for 8 slices of cake in one sitting!
If you have leftovers, then it’s best to keep the slices stored in the refrigerator. Transfer them to resealable containers, or place the cake in a cake tin, and they’ll keep for at least 5 days.
You can enjoy the slices cold, or you can reheat. If reheating, place the apple torte back into the oven and bake at a lower heat for around 10 minutes. Alternatively, place in the microwave to reheat quickly.
We don’t suggest freezing apple torte cake, but you can in a pinch. It will last for at least 6 months frozen but will lose its sponginess when thawed and reheated.
Apple Torte: The Last Slice of Cake
That’s the end of our apple torte recipe, which means that it’s time for you to start baking this great cake at home!
Apple torte is fluffy, airy, springy, and spongy when it’s been baked to perfection, and we just can’t get enough of it.
Cover it in cream, ice cream, sauce, or get adventurous and try that savory cream cheese topping.
If you’re searching for a delicious apple cake recipe, then why not try baking our apple torte recipe?