When asked about my favorite recipe, it almost always comes down to apple pie since it is all about the mix of apples—some spicy, some savory, some sweet, some crisp, etc. But no need to stop at pie—what about French Apple Cake, Invisible Apple Cake with super-thin layers, Greek Apple Cake or a Burnt Sugar Apple Upside-Down Cake? But one of the most appealing and easiest is an Italian recipe from Trentino-Alto Adige called Torta Bolzano. Thin slices of apple are coated with a crepe-like batter, much like a clafoutis, and then baked in a pie or cake pan. Simple. Delicious.

The recipe was taught to us by Franca Giuliani in Padergnone, in northern Italy. Unlike the more standard torta di mele (apple slices on top of a light cake round), the Torta Bolzano is more about the apples than the cake since apples are coated in a thin crepe-like batter and are the foundation of the recipe, not just a topping, offering crisp, deeply caramelized edges and a custardy interior. Giuliani baked her version in a pie plate and it was thin and supple enough that it just slid out onto a platter. It puffed slightly, like a Dutch baby, but was no taller than an inch when served. The cake isn’t particularly sweet, making it well-suited to a dusting of powdered sugar.

To add flavor, we browned the butter. A mandoline makes quick work of slicing the apples. To use a knife, peel the apples, cut into quarters, notch out the core from each piece and slice them about 1/16 inch thick. As for the batter, we whisk white sugar, eggs and lemon zest until pale and thickened and then whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt. While whisking, we gradually add the milk, followed by the browned butter and vanilla. We ended up increasing the amount of batter since we wanted a custardy interior paired with a nicely caramelized top. For the latter, we started with a 325°F oven but wanted more browning so we increased the heat to 375°F and sprinkled the top with sugar before baking. A bottom layer of parchment paper helped to get this cake out of the pan all in one piece.

Per usual, we used a 50/50 mix of Grannies and Honeycrisp or Gala. Being an apple snob, I would seek out a more interesting mix in the fall when heirloom varieties are for sale but, during the rest of the year, Grannies hold their shape and the sweet Galas or Honeycrisps are there for flavor.

Apple pie is still my holy grail, but Torta Bolzano is a close second and it requires just one bowl and no pie crust expertise. Much like apple pie, we like the cake at room temperature; some tasters even preferred it cold. Refrigerated, the cake will keep up to two days.

Chris Kimball

Christopher Kimball is founder of Milk Street, which produces Milk Street Magazine, Milk Street Television on PBS, and the weekly public radio show Milk Street Radio. He founded Cook’s Magazine in 1980 and was host and executive producer of America’s Test Kitchen until 2016. Kimball is the author of several books, including "The Yellow Farmhouse" and "Fannie’s Last Supper."