Layered Apple Loaf Cake
A dense, custardy loaf of thinly sliced, shingled apples with a hint of cinnamon—adapted from Joana Barrios’s cookbook.
This apple cake recipe, adapted from a recipe by the Portuguese chef Joana Barrios in her cookbook "Palato Rico, Palato Pobre" (Zero a Oito, 2023), offers big results for just a little effort. The cake is very similar to a gâteau invisible, versions of which exist across France and around the world. All you need to do is prepare your apples -- which can be made even easier with this peeler and a mandoline -- and combine them with a simple, eggy batter. What you get is a dense, custardy loaf cake that, when sliced, reveals layers of stacked, shingled apples, their flavor shining through with only a little cinnamon to heighten their tart sweetness (or sweet tartness, depending on your variety). Serve this with ice cream, yogurt or nothing at all -- it's perfect as is. -- Mia Leimkuhler