World Cake Day: a must-have recipe

World Cake Day is celebrated on March 17. A fun annual event that promotes the art of baking and aims to raise awareness of cake's importance as a symbol of sharing and lightheartedness, to be enjoyed with the people we love.

For many, this day acts as apt motivation for making a homemade cake, savoring the pleasures of homemade baking, with an end result that's lighter than an industrially manufactured product, due in part to the use of fresh and sometimes local ingredients.

That's why we decided to share this apple and jam cake recipe with you. This simple recipe is easy to make with your children and perfect for any time of the day, from breakfast to snack time or as a post-meal dessert! A delicious variation on traditional apple cake, with the addition of jam to give it even more softness and flavor. If possible, we suggest using a local jam.

Here's the step-by-step recipe!

Apple and jam cake: ingredients for a deep 22 cm round cake pan

• 300 g "00" type flour
• 2 soft golden apples
• 120 g granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 100 ml vegetable oil or 80 g butter
• grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 16g baking powder
• 250 g apricot jam or another flavor of your choice
• confectioners' sugar for finishing

Directions

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar. Add the vegetable oil or the butter, previously melted in a saucepan. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add it to the mixture along with the grated lemon zest, mixing until smooth.

Cut the apples into thin slices and add them to the mixture, setting aside about fifteen slices for the final garnish. Mix well and pour into the lightly buttered deep 22 cm non-stick cake pan.

Level out the mixture, sprinkle it with the jam, and arrange the reserved apple slices in a radial sunburst pattern.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C/ 356 °F and bake the cake for about an hour, covering it with aluminum foil after about 45 minutes to keep the jam from burning.

Use a toothpick to check for doneness. Once baked, take the cake out of the oven and let it cool. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar, and serve. The cake can be stored outside the refrigerator and should be consumed within 4–5 days,

Happy World Cake Day!