Torta di mele di fattoria

I have a confession to make, this confession is the reason I do not like this cake. I have to confess that I cannot stand the taste of eggs. The faintest hint of sulfur-y eggs and I'm immediately turned off.

Last week I had my first boiled egg and, I can tell you, it won't be the first of many. The sheer eggy-ness of it was astoundingly unpleasant. I'm assuming eggs are an acquired taste?

I should have known this cake would taste faintly of eggs but the picture in The Four Seasons of Italian Cooking made it look so delicious. So delicious that I ignored the part of me that said "this will taste of eggs". And, needless to say, it tasted of eggs. the eggy taste isn't overwhelmingly by any means but even a little hint is too much for me. Others enjoyed it though. In fact, they keept sneaking in and stealing bits. I'm okay with that, I'm not going to eat it.

I did give it a chance, I really did. I didn't take my first bite and refuse to finish it because it tasted like eggs. No, no. I made it through a piece and a half - and that's pretty good. Many in a few years I'll make this again and adore it.

I'd just like to note that the measurement conversions in the book this recipe is from are terrible. According to the book 250 grams is the equivalent of 8 ounces, when it reality 225g is much closer. There's inconsistency throughout the recipe to the point where I'm not sure what unit of measurement is the correct one. The recipe below is merely the measurements I used - who knows, maybe I needed more of something and less of something else!

(I've just been informed that the eggy-ness of this cake dies down once it's properly cooled and it becomes significantly more apple-y. Maybe it was a success after all?)

Torta di mele di fattoria

(from The Four Seasons of Italian Cooking by A.J. Battifarano and Alan Richardson)
makes 8-10 servings

5 apples
2 large eggs
225g (1 cup) sugar
55g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
125 mls (1/2 cup) milk
100g (3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), grease and and line a 28cm (11") cake tin or deep dish pizza tray.

Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Slice the apple sections crosswise into very thin slivers.

Beat the eggs and the sugar in a large bowl with a wire whisk until the mixture has lightened and increased in volume. Stir in the flour, then add the milk, butter, and vanilla. Blend the mixture throughly. Quickly stir in the baking powder and then fold through the apples.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake on the flour on the floor of the oven (or on the lowest rack, if you cannot bake on the floor) for 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to the centre rack and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through and golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.