Greek apple cake (Milopita)

Bymiakouppa September 7, 2024October 13, 2024

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A Greek apple cake called milopita that is loaded with chunks of apple and flavoured with cinnamon and walnuts. This traditional Greek apple cake is made in one-bowl and is incredibly easy, even for novice bakers. Serve it plain or with some ice cream on the side.

Growing up in a Greek home there were some cake staples that would make an appearance pretty regularly. These were cakes that would get baked in a pretty large pan and which would keep for several days (even longer in the refrigerator). Cakes like the classic marble cake, the syrup soaked orange cake called portokalopita and the Greek walnut cake called karydopita. These cakes were made for birthdays, Nameday celebrations, and weekend dinner parties.

Another cake that was made often was this Greek apple cake. In the Fall when apples are plentiful and the warm aroma of baked apples and cinnamon is so welcome, I make this cake on repeat! It is definitely one of my favourites. In Greek homes it is often served for breakfast with a Greek coffee or a cup of Greek mountain tea. It is also often served as a snack, or dessert.

Why I love this recipe!

Easy! Trust the process! The making instructions are a little unusual, but couldn’t be simpler. I promise your cake will turn out beautifully!

Delicious! Honestly, take a look at the ingredients. Could this cake be anything but delicious!

Loads of apples! This is a true apple cake. There are 6 packed cups of chopped apples here. That is a lot of apples, making this cake an apple lovers dream.

Key ingredients

Apples You will need a lot of apples for this recipe. I have made this cake using all sorts of apples, and even different varieties within the same cake. Honestly, they have all worked out fine, so I would say, use any apples you like. In some recipes however, like Apple pie flavoured soufra, a firm apple that holds its shape is preferred.

Flour I use all purpose (also called plain or regular flour) to make the batter in this recipe. I sift it before adding it to my bowl.

Eggs As always, unless otherwise indicated, I use large eggs in all my baking.

Sugar I use granulated white sugar. It is sweet, but does not have a strong flavour. Super versatile!

Vegetable oil I use vegetable oil for a few reasons. First and foremost, it is a mild flavoured oil which does not change the flavour of the cake or overpower the flavour of the apples. Also, it is less pricey than other oils, and it is readily available.

Baking powder This is the leavening agent used which helps this cake to rise beautifully.

Cinnamon Apples and cinnamon are a classic combination! You can’t have a Greek apple cake without kanella (that’s Greek, for cinnamon 🙂 !)

Walnuts I add crushed walnuts to the batter for a lovely flavour, and texture.

How to make it

My Greek parents’ unconventional baking technique

This recipe is posted exactly as my parents make it. For those of you out there who are bakers, sit down. Reading the directions in this recipe might make you feel a little light headed. Everything you may know about baking techniques and basic baking principles can be thrown out the window. I was actually horrified watching this recipe unfold. There was no apparent reverence for the art of baking, no care and attention paid to ensuring that the baking process was entered into with respect and awe. Nope, things were pretty much just thrown into a large bowl and practically kneaded together. That’s right…kneaded…or stirred! In any case, it was all done by hand! Have you ever heard of such a thing???!!!

In the end, the batter was poured (plopped) into a baking pan (not a cake pan mind you …my parents use this thing to make small batches of yemista too) and baked for what my parents said would be “a while”. Despite the fact that I have grown up eating my parents’ milopita, and loved it, I was convinced that they were now holding out on me, keeping the true recipe to themselves. My expectations were low, and even when the kitchen began to fill with the delightful aroma of cooked apples and cinnamon, I was sure that this cake would have significant problems. I was stressing. And then, out of the oven, came a perfect looking apple cake. I started to get excited…but then, remembered high school, and that looks aren’t everything. When the milopita cooled a bit, I took a tentative bite. This cake, thrown together, defied all baking logic. It was perfect, and perfectly delicious.

Consider yourself warned…here we go:

Preparation

Peel and core your apples and chop them into a small dice. Measure out 6 packed cups of apple. If you have any left over, munch on them while your cake bakes. This is a direct order from my Mama.

Crush your walnuts into a fine crumb. I like to use a mini food processor for this, but you can also use a blender or do it by hand with a knife.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Instructions

Step 1
Place your apples in a very large bowl. Sift your flour, and add it to the bowl with the apples. Then, add the eggs, the sugar, the vegetable oil, baking powder, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts.

Step 2
Using your hands, mix all of the ingredients together and combine everything well (almost as though you are making a bread).

Step 3
Grease your cake pan and place your cake in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 70 – 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. After 60 minutes, check it; if the top is getting too dark, cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Frequently asked questions

What is Greek apple cake called?

A milopita is a Greek apple cake. Now technically, a milopita is an apple pie…which, this is not. It’s a cake, and many Greeks might call it just that, an apple cake or keik milou (Κέικ μήλου). If you are one of those people, please don’t send me emails and well meaning comments informing me that this is not a pie. I know it’s not, but the reality is, this recipe has bigger problems…have you read the crazy instructions?

Can I make milopita with any variety of apples?

Honestly, you can. There may be people out there who tell you that you must use a particular variety of apple – I say nope! For sure, some apples may bake up better than others, but I have used all sorts of apples (those I have, those on sale, those that have past their peak prime for crunching), and the cake has always turned out great!

How to serve

My parents serve this cake straight out of the pan. It is delicious warm, at room temperature, and even more delicious the next day.

You can dust the cake with a little bit of icing sugar, or serve it with some vanilla ice cream on the side. Even a nice thick Greek yogourt would work well.

Pin this recipe if you like it!

Baking tips and helpful hints

For me, Fall is all about back to school, warm knit sweaters, and apple picking. I am fortunate to live in an area where there is a pretty extensive apple picking season, and many varieties of apples to select from, in many different orchards. What a joy!

If you don’t have the opportunity to go apple picking, you can, of course, purchase your apples at the market or grocery store. Baking wisdom often says that the best apples for apple cake include Gala and Pink Lady varieties, but this recipe has already demonstrated that what we think we know, means nothing. So, use whatever apples you like, or use those you have on hand. It will probably be perfect.

My parents bake this cake in a large round pan (11 inches in diameter) and serve it directly out of it. You can either do as my parents do, or split the batter between a bundt pan and a loaf pan. If you are going with this latter option (bundt and loaf pan), reduce the cooking time to approximately 50 – 60 minutes. Again, check for doneness with a toothpick.

There are a lot of apples in this cake! Be sure to cut them up into pretty small dice so that they get well disperesd within the batter.

Recipe substitutions

If you prefer to use olive oil or another type of oil in this recipe, go ahead. Substitute the vegetable oil with the oil of your choice, in the same quantities.

You can use finely chopped pecans or almonds instead of walnuts in this recipe.

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