The Apple Cake Passport Project

 

I have Royal Visconti Palace to thank for this rabbit hole I wandered down.

This project was born out of my failed attempt to get the recipe for an unassuming yet incredibly delicious apple cake from the hotel. In trying to find a similar recipe online and in various cookbooks (of which Dorie Greenspan’s were particularly enjoyable), I discovered that apple cakes are enjoyed across myriad countries. Some are architecturally unexpected, like a shortcrust dough base and a streusel-like topping in the Polish Szarlotka, while others fit the bill for a traditional apple cake and share similar characteristics, like a high apple to batter ratio. 

There are so many recipes and it was difficult to choose just one, so with the support of my taste testers, I began making as many as I could. Somewhere in the middle of this endeavor, I officially committed to this “project” and am here today to present the results! 

Click to view the full project pdf

This project started in October 2021 and this pdf "baker's notebook" has been sitting on my computer for a few months. I'm so excited to share this and would love to hear your thoughts. Drop me a line if you try any of the recipes or have one to recommend!

If you liked this, I recently shared a baking project of a similar nature: 

The Cookie Chronicles | Developing My Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe