This torta di mele e prugne is the kind of simple Italian cake you make once and memorize forever. Fresh apples and juicy plums bake into a soft, lightly sweet crumb with golden edges and pockets of fruit in every bite. It's dairy-free, made with pantry staples, and ready in about 1 hour. Perfect for breakfast, merenda, or an easy dessert with espresso.
If you're making this recipe, be sure to also check out my Italian Plum Cake and my Orange Poppy Seed Cake for more simple, fruit forward Italian baking.
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One of the best recipes I learned to make from my mother-in-law is her torta di mela. She sometimes makes a torta di mela e prugne, or apple and plum cake. Teresa is quite the baker and there usually are not any recipes to follow. Since apple desserts are my favorites, I have to see that this is apple and plum cake is one of my all-time favorite cakes!
Teresa has her favorite recipes memorized and she whips them up in her tiny kitchen with fervor and ease. Although my in-laws made me feel a part of the family from the first day they met me, Teresa's recipes were not a part of the deal!
At least not in the very beginning. It took time and trust for Teresa to start to bake with me and to share some of her culinary secrets. I think it was when she saw that I wasn't making her precious son just pancakes every day (yes, she thought we were eating pancakes for breakfast and lunch), she started to have faith in me and realized I was worthy of sharing some of her ideas and treasured creations.
Why You'll Love This Italian Apple and Plum Cake
- Uses simple ingredients you already have
- Naturally dairy-free
- Soft, moist texture with fresh fruit in every slice
- Not overly sweet
- Even better the next day
This is the type of cake you'll find in Italian homes, not in fancy pastry cases. Rustic. Real. Uncomplicated.
This is another version of the apple cake Teresa usually makes. She sometimes makes it with butter, and it is quite amazing! This version is with olive oil and yogurt. You could use vegetable if you don't like the flavor of the olive oil (I use extra virgin olive oil).
This recipe is adapted from my rustic apple cake.
Some more apple inspirations for you:
Apple Orange Marmalade Crostata
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour (I used ½ cup of whole wheat pastry flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- juice and zest of one lemon (I used Meyer)
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt
- 2 medium apples, peeled and cored
- 4 plums, pitted and sliced into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
How to Make Torta di Mele e Prugne
1. Prep
Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 22-23 cm springform pan.
Peel and slice the apples thinly. Slice the plums and set aside.
2. Make the Batter
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and slightly fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the oil, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
3. Add the Fruit
Fold half of the apples and half of the plums into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the remaining fruit on top in a rustic pattern. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
4. Bake
Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Pro Tips
- Use firm apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. They hold their shape while baking.
- Slice fruit evenly so the cake bakes uniformly.
- If your plums are very juicy, lightly pat them dry before adding to prevent excess moisture.
- This cake tastes even better the next day once the fruit settles into the crumb.
Storage
Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
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Torta di Mela e Prugne (Apple and Plum Cake)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour I used ½ cup of whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- juice and zest of one lemon I used Meyer
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt
- 2 medium apples peeled and cored
- 4 plums pitted and sliced into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheatoven to 350. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan with removablebottom. Dice one apple and slice the other apple into thin slices(reserve these slices to place on top of cake batter before baking). Addthe apple pieces and slices into a small bowl and squeeze the lemonjuice over it; set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Toss inthe lemon zest and with your hands, mix it into the flour mixture torelease the lemon essence.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs untilcreamy (about 5 minutes). Beat in the olive oil and the yogurt. Mixwell.
- Add flour mixture into the yogurt mixture a half up at a time. Scrape downthe sides of the bowl with spatula and mix well after every addition.
- Mixthe diced apple and plum pieces into the batter. Pour the batter intoprepared pan. Arrange the apple slices over the batter.
- Sprinklethe turbinado sugar and thin pats of butter on top of the cake and bakefor about 45-55 minutes, or until skewer inserted in the center comesout clean. Check cake at about 40 minutes. Every oven is different. Ifcake is browning, cover with aluminum foil for remainder of baking time.Let cool for about 20 minutes before removing from cake pan. Bestserved warm.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Room temperature eggs matter. They whip better and give you a lighter crumb. Take them out 20-30 minutes before baking.
- Don't overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing makes the cake dense instead of soft.
- Slice fruit thin and even. About 3-4 mm thick. Thick slices sink and create wet pockets.
- Choose the right apples. Firm varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady hold their shape and balance the sweetness.
- Plums should be ripe but not mushy. If they're too soft, they release too much juice and weigh down the cake.
- If the top browns too fast, loosely tent with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.
- Let it cool before slicing. The fruit sets as it cools. Cut too early and it will fall apart.
- Flavor boost option. Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon or a splash of rum for a warmer, deeper flavor.
- Make it dairy-free. Use almond milk or oat milk with no other changes needed.
- Best the next day. The fruit moisture settles into the crumb overnight, making it even softer.
I made this cake yesterday with fresh plums from my backyard - this is a great recipe and all of my family LOVED it! I put some of the fresh prune plum jam (your recipe too) on top as well!
I substituted the regular sugar for brown sugar, and I used Greek yogurt that had fresh Marion berries inside. SO GOOD!
I also really love that this recipe doesn’t call for cinnamon or nutmeg - like a lot of apple recipes have. I prefer the fresh lemon notes so much better!