Monferrato Black Apple Cake, The Typical Italian Apple Cake with Cocoa and Amaretti Cookies (VIDEO)

The Monferrato Black Apple Cake is an ancient delicacy of Piedmont, created to utilize the abundant local sweet and flavorful apples found in farmhouses. This cake is distinguished by its soft and moist texture and its black color, which is rather unusual for an apple cake.

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The Monferrato Black Apple Cake, in Italian “Torta Nera del Monferrato” (Black cake of Monferrato), is a traditional dessert from the enchanting Monferrato region, situated in the heart of Piedmont, in the province of Alessandria, Italy. Its origins date back to a time when grandmothers spent hours in the kitchen preparing delicacies that brought families and friends together around a single table. This simple and authentic recipe combines a few quality ingredients: apples, amaretti, and cocoa. Originally, the apples were reduced to a puree and combined with eggs, breadcrumbs, and sugar. Over time, amaretti cookies and cocoa were added. Traditionally, it was slowly baked in wood-fired ovens, resulting in a caramelized exterior and dark color from the long cooking process. Its name derives from the characteristic dark color imparted by the cocoa in the batter.

The peculiarity of the Torta Monferrina also lies in its preparation: there is no flour or leavening agent in the batter. Various ingredients are mixed together, the batter is poured into a buttered and floured pan, and it is baked until a compact cake with a light crust on the surface is obtained.

The History of the Black Cake of Monferrato

The Black Cake of Monferrato was born from the reuse of leftovers that, in the past, were never thrown away in households. Leftover apples from the harvest, the ripest and slightly bruised ones, but still sweet and perfect for cooking and using to prepare a simple and economical dessert, were utilized.

The apples used, usually Renette apples, which are perfect for making desserts and cakes, were peeled, sliced thinly, and cooked in a pan until almost pureed. The remaining ingredients were then combined with this apple mixture, creating a batter that will be baked in the oven.

The cake was then baked for a long time on the stove or wood-fired oven, causing the rather liquid batter to slowly dry out, creating a cake that was always moist but compact.

Some people, in addition to apples, also used pumpkin, typical of the autumn and winter seasons, as well as dried fruit, raisins, chocolate, and amaretti. People say that before cocoa arrived in Piedmont, they used grated stale bread to thicken the mixture. In short, they added any suitable ingredients to create a rich, substantial, and tasty cake with typical local products and ingredients from the colder seasons.

If you wish to experience the magic of this Piedmontese delicacy in your own kitchen, all you need to do is follow my homemade recipe. In this tutorial, I will guide you step-by-step through the preparation of this delight, so you can bring a touch of Monferrato directly to your table.

Watch Italian Black Apple Cake Video Recipe

Ingredients of the Black Cake of Monferrato

1200 g Renette apples (about 3 lbs), you will need about 1 kg of peeled apples
20 g butter (1 tbsp plus 2 tsp)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
150 g Amaretti cookies (5¼ oz)
70 g unsweetened cocoa powder (¾ cup plus 2 tbsp)
150 g granulated sugar (¾ cup)
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 pinch salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Powdered sugar to garnish

How to Make The Monferrato Black Apple Cake

The first step in making this delicious black apple cake is to prepare the apples and Amaretti cookies. Actually, that’s really the only tricky part of this recipe, this cake is truly hard to mess up if you follow the steps I’m about to provide. Let’s dive right in!

The Apples

Peel and slice the Renette apples. Place them in a saucepan with the butter and wine, stirring with a spoon. Cook the apples until they dry out and almost completely break down, which takes about 30 minutes. At the end of cooking, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to help thicken the mixture, and stir. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Amaretti Cookies

Place the amaretti cookies into a large bag. Seal the bag tightly, ensuring no air remains inside. Position the sealed bag on a flat surface. Take a rolling pin and firmly roll it over the bag, applying even pressure. Continue rolling until the amaretti cookies have broken down into small crumbs. Carefully open the bag once you achieve the desired crumb texture of the Amaretti cookies. The amaretti crumbs are now ready to use in your recipe as needed.

Combine the Ingredients

In a large bowl add the crushed amaretti cookies, the cocoa powder, sugar, spices, salt, and grated lemon zest. Mix well. Add the milk and eggs, stirring to combine. Finally, add the cooked apples and thoroughly incorporate them into the batter.

Bake your Italian Black Apple Cake

Grease and flour a cake pan of about cm 24 diameter. Pour the batter into the pan, forming a layer about 5 cm thick. Bake in the preheated oven at 170 °C for 1 hour, or until the cake is dry (check with a toothpick) and a thin crust has formed on top.

Allow the cake to cool completely (The next day, it will taste even better), then optionally dust with powdered sugar to serve.

Serve with a dessert wine like Passito or Moscato. Optionally, top the slices with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

How To Store Monferrato Black Cake

Cover the cake with a lid and store it in the refrigerator for several days. I even tried freezing it for up to a month already cut into slices and, once thawed at room temperature, it was still excellent!