Apple strudel cake

17/11/2023

The Apple Strudel Cake is a cake interpretation of the classic apple strudel, a dessert typically Tyrolean which has also become very popular in Italy. Here’s the recipe with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

300 g of ready-made or homemade puff pastry
4-5 Golden or Renette apples
60 g of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
30 g of sultana raisins
30 g of pine nuts
2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 lemon (juice)
Butter as needed
Powdered sugar for decoration
1 egg yolk for brushing

Preparation

If the raisins are very dry, soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes, then squeeze and dry them.
Peel the apples and cut them into thin slices, then sprinkle them with lemon juice to prevent browning.
In a pan, melt some butter and add the sliced apples. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes with the granulated sugar and cinnamon until they become slightly soft. Add the raisins and pine nuts and let the mixture cool.
Roll out the puff pastry to a thickness of about 3 mm. Sprinkle the bottom with breadcrumbs, which will help absorb the moisture from the apples and prevent the pastry from becoming soggy.
Spread the apple, raisin, and pine nut filling over the breadcrumbs, leaving a free margin to close the cake.
Roll the pastry over the filling and seal the edges, brush them with the egg yolk and sprinkle the surface with brown sugar.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30-40 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden.
Allow to cool before dusting with powdered sugar.

Trivia

Strudel is a dessert whose history is as interesting as its taste. The word “strudel” means “whirlpool” in German, and the dessert is known for its thin layers of pastry enveloping a sweet filling. Despite its origins in Germany and Austria, strudel has found a second home in Italy, especially in the Trentino-South Tyrol region, where apples are abundant and of high quality, and where the local cuisine reflects the influences of these neighboring countries.