My Grandma's Apple Cake

I inherited this recipe from my grandmother. She made it for my two sisters and me because it is a delicious low-fat and healthy cake (she didn’t know that we ate it all in a couple of hours – and it was big!). The other thing I inherited from her is the recipe of the crème caramel, that she called “latte alla portoghese”, milk the Portuguese way (to be posted here soon) -- for some reason, she only made that one in a small portion, for my grandfather’s exclusive delight. I remember that when I visited them, almost everyday in the summer when I was a child, I used to look at that special pot, my mouth watering. But I’d soon forget about it when I was offered a sugar cube and a few cookies or a slice of the marvelous apple cake!

160 gr (0.35 lb) unbleached all-purpose flour

150 gr (0.33 lb) sugar

2 eggs (separate the yolk from the white)

½ pack (one small teaspoon) of yeast

Water

1 pinch of salt 

Grated lemon zest

5 medium to big apples

½ lemon (to be squeezed)

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup raisins

½ cup chopped hazelnuts

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp powdered sugar

Pass the flour through a sieve. In a large bowl combine sugar, flour, the egg yolks (set aside the egg whites), lemon zest and salt with a mixer adding gradually about ½ cup of water. The exact amount of water needed depends on how big the eggs are and how dry is the flour. The mixture is supposed to be quite thick, but well blended. 

Add the cinnamon and the yeast and mix.

Peel and cut the apples in small pieces and add one tablespoon of brown sugar. Pour the lemon juice on the apples and toss in the pine nuts, raisins and hazelnuts.

In a small bowl beat the egg whites until stiff. Egg whites should be beaten when they are at room temperature, adding a pinch of salt. The bowl and beaters should be perfectly clean and dry. If there is a little water or oil residue in the bowl or a little hint of yolk in the whites, it will interfere seriously with the formation of air bubbles.

Slowly incorporate the egg whites into the mixture, folding about ¼ of beaten egg whites into the mixture with a flexible spatula, stirring normally. This will lighten the mixture. Then pour in the remaining beaten egg whites and fold in gently with a vertical movement (instead of round and round), with the bowl tipped on its side.

Add the chopped apples to the mixture and pour into a 10-inch round baking pan. 

Bake in a pre-heated oven to 350ºF (180ºC) for 45-60 minutes. Pull out of the oven and let the cake cool off. Just a few minutes before serving cover with sifted powdered sugar.