Easy Apple and Almond Cake

This delicious Apple and Almond Cake recipe creates a moist, soft cake with the flavour of sweet apples and almonds. It’s a simple recipe, but the results are absolutely scrumptious. It’s the perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea. Cakes made with ground almonds are naturally gluten-free and deliciously moist. This apple version is subtly flavoured and will definitely satisfy any cake cravings! Try it.

This easy recipe is a gorgeous combination of apple and almond flavours; it is as much an Almond Apple cake as it is anything else. It’s an understated cake that’s easy to make and is a wonderful sweet treat on warm days.

Why you’re going to love this recipe

• This is an easy cake recipe to get right. It doesn’t contain flour or butter, so you’re basically mixing almonds, sugar, eggs and apples. Prepare the pan thoroughly, and it’s very simple.
• This fruit and nut-based cake is full of gentle almond and apple flavours and a light, moist texture. Plus, it doesn’t use flour or fat such as butter or margarine.
• Although apple recipes are generally associated with autumn and the coming of cooler weather, this cake is light and airy, with an elegant simplicity, a very nice accompaniment to happy, spring, and summer social occasions. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. I bet you get asked to share the recipe.

How to make this Apple and Almond Cake

The method for making this cake is very straightforward.

• Prepare an 8-inch (200mm) round cake tin, which needs to be 3 inches (76mm) deep. I would recommend lining it with baking parchment, which makes the finished cake a doddle to remove from the tin.
• Preheat the oven to 340F/170C/150C Fan. Move any shelves you need to so that the cake can bake in the centre of the oven.
• Find 2 mixing bowls: one to mix the main cake ingredients, and one to whisk the eggs with an electric whisk.
• Prepare the cooking apples; peel, core and chop them into small dice. Place them in a medium-sized saucepan with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar, a tablespoon of water, 1 tsp vanilla extract and the juice of half a lemon (about 1/2 tbsp). The juice is to stop the apples from browning. Gently heat the apples, stirring occasionally, and mash them with the back of a spoon until they reach the consistency of thick apple sauce. It’s okay for some lumps of apple to remain so long as they’re soft. Leave it to cool.
• Measure and mix the ground almonds and baking powder together.
• Crack the eggs into a bowl, and whisk them until foamy, which is so much easier with an electric whisk.
  • When the eggs are foamy, it takes a minute or two, gradually add in the caster sugar, whisking after each addition. You’ll notice that the mixture thickens as you do so.
• Gently fold in the ground almonds and the baking powder. Stir until everything is combined.
• Add the cooled, prepared apple mixture and mix well. Transfer the cake batter to the baking tin, and put it in the oven.
• Set the oven timer for 35 minutes.

Baking the Cake

• After 35 minutes, check that the cake is cooked through. It should be well risen and golden brown in colour, but to reassure yourself that it is done, use a cocktail stick or skewer to check. Insert it into the cake, and if it is free of crumbs when you take it out, the cake is done. If it isn’t crumb-free, then it needs to bake a little longer. Check every few minutes until it is done.
• Place the tin on a cooling rack and leave it completely alone for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove it from the tin and leave it until completely cool. It is a little bit fragile when it first comes out of the oven.
• Once it is completely cool, dust with some icing sugar and scatter some flaked almonds over the top. Simple but pretty.

Baking the Apple and Almond Cake and being successful

Apologies if putting this in its own section makes it seem like a difficult recipe; it really isn’t, but it may be helpful to know a few things.

1. Use a 3 inch deep, round 8-inch (20cm) baking pan. Note: If you change the size of the pan, the cooking timings will alter. Using a smaller pan, for example, may mean it takes longer to cook through; a larger baking pan will mean it bakes more quickly, so use the correct size of baking tin or keep a very close eye on your cake so that you don’t over- or undercook it.
2. Line your baking tin, bottom and sides, so the cake is easy to remove. I do sometimes only line the bottom of the pan, but for the most stress-free way to remove your cake. Line both the bottom and sides of the baking tin with baking parchment.
3. Use the few minutes it takes to whisk the eggs until they’re foamy. If you’ve never done this before, you need to keep whisking until you feel the egg mixture get thicker. It’s quite an obvious change… I know you’ll be able to tell.
4. Read our tips on apples; they should help you decide whether to use eating apples or cooking apples.
5. When you add the ground almonds to the egg mixture, stir until everything is well combined.

Serving the Cake

This cake doesn’t need accompaniment; it looks and tastes wonderful just as it is, but if you’re tempted to put something with it, try a spoonful of good thick Greek yoghurt or some whipped cream.

A real indulgence, in my opinion, is to add a few blueberries with the cream or yogurt – not a lot, just a few. The sharpness of the berries contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the apples in the cake. Try it and let me know what you think.

Follow this by taking out your favourite cake slice, your prettiest plates and serve it with a deeply satisfying cup of tea or coffee.

Storing this cake

Store this cake for up to 3 days in an airtight container. If the weather is particularly warm, it would be better to store the airtight container in the fridge. To serve, allow the cake to return to room temperature so that you can appreciate all those wonderful flavours.

Sadly, this cake does not freeze well. However, if you’re determined to freeze it, then decide to freeze it either as a whole cake or in individual portions to enjoy one at a time. It will last for about three months in the freezer.

Do not dust the cake with icing sugar or scatter with flaked almonds if you intend to freeze the cake. Leave that for when you’re ready to eat it.

To freeze individual portions, slice the cake up and wrap each slice carefully in baking parchment. Place in a suitable container and freeze. To enjoy these individual portions, allow them to thaw completely and warm them a little in the oven or microwave for a few seconds. It helps to restore all the delicious flavours.

To freeze the entire cake, wrap it in baking parchment and freeze it in a suitable container until you’re ready to eat it.

To eat the cake, allow it to thaw out completely. For the best results, warm it through in the oven once thawed so you can enjoy that freshly baked texture and flavour. At this point, you may wish to dust the apple almond cake with icing sugar and scatter it with the flaked almonds.

Enjoy!

Apple Bakes

I have a few apple recipes on the blog; some use cooking apples, such as Bramleys (Blackberry and Apple Crumble), and others use eating apples, such as this apple muffin recipe. This Apple Almond Cake recipe is best, in my opinion, when made with cooking apples. I feel that the tartness of the flavour contrasts in the best way with the almonds.

Cooking apples also ‘disappear’ into the cake, whereas eating apples can retain a little bit of texture. Again, I prefer to have the finished cake, delicately and deliciously smooth. Try it and see if you agree with me.

If you discover any other exciting ways to enjoy this cake, please let me know. It always fascinates me how folk enjoy their cake treats.

Please leave a Star rating and a review if you make this cake.

It would mean so much to me, and I can’t wait to hear what you think.

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