Shepp Ranch Italian Apple Cake

The first time I made this cake, it was fall on the Salmon River. I was working as a cook at a guest ranch in the Frank Church Wilderness - the type of place you can only get to by boat, or plane, or hiking really, really far. The ranch was homesteaded in 1909, and like many homesteads, planted with fruit trees. Apples, pears, cherries and even peaches graced the gentle hillside that rolled down to the Main Fork of the Salmon River. The abundance of fruit was overwhelming and we spent hours canning this bounty. 

Now, with the bounty of apples we could have just cooked the same old apple pie every week a new crop of guests arrived at the ranch during this season. But that would have been terribly boring, so I was always looking for new dessert recipes using apples. Lynn, the general manager at the ranch, introduced me to this apple cake during one of the first weeks of the apple harvest.

The cake has a dense, almost pudding like texture at the bottom where the apples settle, and the airy lightness of a sponge towards the top. The contrast of textures and of tart and sweet flavors is heavenly. Unlike most apple desserts, there are no spices used here. It makes a nice contrast to the heady cinnamon adorned confections that become so prevalent this time of year. Lemon zest compliments the tartness of the apples and imparts a subtle floral quality. While I've never tried, I imagine the cake would be delicious with Fiori di Sicilia swapped out for the vanilla extract.

The type of cake pan you use here doesn't matter all too much, but since the apples are sticky preparing your pan correctly makes a world of difference. I prefer a springform pan, which I place on a baking sheet to catch any drips. The batter is on the thicker side so leakage is minimal. I line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, then spray the sides and the parchment paper with Baker's Joy If you're using a traditional 9" cake pan, follow the same procedure.