by This Italian Grape Cake, known as Torta Bertolina, is an Italian-style harvest cake and traditionally made during Italy’s harvest season. It’s a moist and fragrant cake studded with fresh juicy grapes, creating pockets of jammy goodness in every bite…a simple and perfect way to bake with grapes.
With Fall upon us comes a whole new season of culinary delights, marking a quiet celebration of the wonderful seasonal traditions we all hold dear.
In Italy, grapes are harvested between the end of August and mid-October. During this period, it’s quite customary to present a dish or a sweet treat with the newly harvested foods.
Alas, since I’m nowhere near Italy at the moment, I look no further than my favourite farmer’s market for the best grapes I could find.
Which now begs the question, have you spotted these Thomcord grapes yet?
Thomcord grapes are a hybrid of the seedless Thompson grapes. They’re very thin-skinned and have the sweetest, most aromatic taste ever.
If not for the fact that they are packaged and sold in clusters while still intact on their vine, one would seriously think these tiny grapes are blueberries.
And much like blueberries the thin skin clings to the grape when bitten into.
And now begs another question! Have you ever baked with grapes before?
If not, then all I can say is…oh my goodness…you’re missing out, my friend!
When baked, fresh grapes turn a deep purple hue with pools of soft jammy goodness.
With this olive oil grape cake, each bite bursts with sweetness, complemented by the citrus, almond scent and hint of thyme.
It stays incredibly moist for days and has a lovely contrast in texture with some crunchy sliced almonds scattered over the grape cake.
Now let’s bake this Italian-style cake, where the simple beauty is found in every blissful bite and invites us to slow down our everyday lives!
How to Make an Italian Grape Cake
- Start by greasing and flouring a 9-inch spring form pan.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. And set the flour mixture aside.
- Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. (Or use a large bowl with a handheld mixer)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs and granulated sugar until thick and pale yellow in colour, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the olive oil, milk, vanilla and almond extracts, zest and thyme to the egg mixture. Mix until well incorporated.
- Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture until well combined.
- Dust 1 cup of the grapes with a tablespoon of flour, while shaking off any excess, and fold the grapes into the batter with a rubber spatula. Flouring the grapes will help them from sinking to the bottom.
- Pour the cake mixture into the greased and floured baking pan.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of grapes evenly over the cake batter and top with sliced almonds. (No need to flour the remaining grapes; they will rest on top of the batter)
- Bake the grape cake in a preheated oven at 350°F for approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
- When ready, the cake will be deep golden brown in colour and should spring back when touched with your fingertips.
- Alternatively, you can check for doneness with a small wooden skewer. If a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, then it’s ready.
- Remove from the oven and place the cake on a cooling rack. Run a knife along the sides of the pan and allow the cake to cool for about 30 minutes before releasing the cake from the springform pan.
- Dust the cake with powdered sugar just before serving.
- Garnish with sugared grapes if desired. (Check instructions below on how to make sugared grapes as seen in the top photo)
How to Make Sugared Grapes
Making sugared grapes is quite easy but does require a little patience. Most of the time involved is inactive time.
To make the sugared grapes for garnishing, you’ll need:
3 small clusters of grapes on the vine, or approximately 2/3 cups of plucked grapes.
1/3 granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup sugar (divided)
1/3 cup water
First, we’ll make a simple syrup. Place 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup of water in a small stockpot. Heat on medium-low and stir together till the sugar has completely dissolved. Then remove from the heat.
With a slotted spoon, dip the grapes in the simple sugar mixture, turning to coat all around.
Transfer the grapes to a wire rack and let them dry for 1 hour.
Then, roll the grapes in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.
Return to the wire rack and let dry for another hour, so that the sugar adheres to the grape.
These sugared grapes add a pretty touch and complement this grape-studded cake. But you can use them to garnish any sweet treat. They would also be perfect to serve with cocktails.
If planning ahead, you’ll be happy to know that this Italian Grape Cake Recipe will stay fresh for quite a few days. And, it actually tastes better the following day!
It’s moist. Flavourful. And not too sweet. Making it a perfect breakfast cake or a special treat for brunch!
For another traditional Italian recipe celebrating the harvest season, such as this Torta Bertolina, check out my grape focaccia…Schiacciata con L’uva. It’s slightly sweet, lightly savoury with a whole lot of deliciousness.
Happy Baking, my friends!
This recipe was originally posted on September 6, 2020 and republished on November 2, 2025, with updated content and photos.
Italian Grape Cake Recipe (Torta Bertolina)
Equipment
- 1 9 inch spring form pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup almond milk (or regular milk)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves (optional)
- 2 cups small seedless grapes such as Thomcord, Thompson or Concord (divided (1 cup in cake batter and 1 cup to scatter over top))
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- powdered sugar (for dusting over the cake)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and granulated sugar until thick and pale yellow in colour. For about 3 minutes.
- Mix in the olive oil, milk, vanilla and almond extracts, zest and thyme until well incorporated.
- Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture until well combined.
- Fold in 1 cup of the grapes with a rubber spatula. (Toss the grapes with a little flour beforehand and shake off any excess.) This avoids the grapes from sinking to the bottom.
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and level off with the back of a spoon.
- Scatter the remaining 1 cup of grapes evenly over the top of the cake.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds.
- Bake the cake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes.
- When ready, the cake will have a deep golden brown colour and spring back to the touch. Or, if a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, then it's ready.
- Remove the cake from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack.
- Run a knife alongside the edges of the pan and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
- Release the cake from the springform pan and cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
- Garnish with sugared grapes or fresh thyme leaves if desired. (see notes below on how to make sugared grapes)
Notes
- 3 small clusters of grapes on the vine or approximately 2/3 cups of plucked grapes.
- 1/3 granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup of sugar (divided)
- 1/3 water cup
Nutrition
Looks yummy! And easy to do! Can sub for blueberries instead of grapes? Ty
Hi Anna! Absolutely yes. And you can sub lemon for the orange zest! It’s all good!
Hi Marisa!
Excellent recipe? Jsta two questions….
–are those grapes a seedless variety?
–can I use frozen cherries, bluberries etc?
Thanks in advance
Enrique
Enrique, yes it’s seedless grapes and you can substitute with fresh blueberries if you like. Frozen might tinge the batter.
So glad I stumbled upon your recipe. I’ve never heard of Grape Cake before this. Now I know what I can do with the over abundance of grapes growing on our property. There are so many! I’m not sure I have the time to make jelly this year but this recipe sounds quick and easy…and delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Hey Nicole, this cake is a wonderful way of using up an overabundance of grapes. There’s such a delicious burst of flavour in this cake and it’s not any different then baking with blueberries. So easy and yummy. Enjoy!
Hi sounds delicious, can this cake be frozen?
Hi Rita, yes you can freeze it just make sure to let it cool completely before doing so! And wrap it well!
This recipe sounds delicious! I was wondering if I could substitute the almond flour with all-purpose flour?
Such a lovely dessert. Now that I’m vegan, I have to find sub ingredients for eggs. What are your thoughts on either apple sauce of flax as substitution? Many thank for your input.
Hi Sadie, it’s hard to say because I’ve never tried either the apple sauce or flax as a sub. But you raise an interesting thought and now I’m curious. If you give either a go, do let me know how it turns out. Thanks for commenting!
I have merlot and concord grapes in my garden but they are not seedless. how to you suggest I deal with the seeds for this recipe?
Melissa, if the seeds are big then they would have to be removed, as tedious as this may sound. But if teeny tiny then leave them in. Otherwise, replace the grapes with blueberries.
Wow, the cake is is absolutely delicious; it’s light and full of flavor. Does it need to be refrigerated overnight or should I just cover it with a fresh kitchen towel and leave it on the counter?
Andy, apologies for late reply. I usually leave it in an airtight container at room temperature because it never lasts past the second day.
About to make 2 more of these, one to eat now & one for the freezer. This has become my favorite cake. I used the thyme & added more the second time. That little hit every now & then wonderful. Used home grown grapes, I think Thomcord. I hope the almonds stay crunchy after freezing. Would you recommend warming up to crisp?
Apologies for the late reply Eva. Feel free to let me know how it turned out after freezing the cake! This cake never displeases!
Thanks Marisa! I followed the recipe exactly as written, and it was the highlight of a family and friends grape-themed foodie dinner. The different flavors and textures all coming at you in one bit made this exceptional. We will definitely serve this again, and might even try substituting blueberries or raspberries for the grapes. Now I’m off to explore some of your other recipes….