Apple Almond Olive Oil Cake

by Dorothy Reinhold on September 14, 2022


Print This Post Print This Post A wedge of Apple Almond Olive Oil Cake with powdered sugar sprinkled on top on a white plate

Apple Almond Olive Oil Cake is a rustic, farmhouse-style, small-batch cake that’s good for breakfast or dessert. It’s naturally gluten-free.

I could eat apple cake several times a week, and be happy. And so I seem to always be trying out new versions, hoping that this one will be the absolute pinnacle.Here’s the thing I’ve discovered over time, though. There will never be enough new-to-me apple cake recipes. Some are fancier, some are more rustic, some seem like breakfast or brunch, some scream dessert. I want ALL of them, though!

2 wedges of Apple Almond Olive Oil Cake on white plates with forks, with remaining cake on a glass cakestand behindAnd so when I came across this recipe for a naturally gluten-free, rustic looking chunky apple cake in a new book called “Mediterranean Lifestyle for Dummies,” by Amy Riolo {affiliate link}, I immediately turned the oven on. Since it’s just the 2 of us at home usually now, I also wanted a smaller cake than the full-size version she provided, so I cut the recipe in half to make a small-batch version in my 6-inch springform pan. {affiliate link} I bought that small pan to try baking in my air fryer, and it’s been fun to re-envision larger cakes at a more appropriate size. Unless you’re feeding a large family or taking it to a party, who needs half a cake staring at you from the counter the next day? Do you feel me?

How to make Apple Almond Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients for Apple Almond Olive Oil Cake laid out on a white marble counter topFirst, gather your ingredients. For this cake, you’ll need:

  • Extra virgin olive oil (I am using Amy Riolo Selections; use a good-quality olive oil)
  • Honey
  • Egg (I show 2 eggs in the bowl above, but I ended up using only 1 egg)
  • Almond flour
  • Sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Vanilla
  • Apples
  • Powdered sugar for garnish (not shown)

White spoon stirs chunky apples into batter in grey bowlThis is a one-bowl cake. Mix the ingredients as described in the recipe, and then stir in the chopped apples. The batter will look slightly grittier from the almond flour, which is slightly coarser than wheat flour.

Batter in a 6-inch springform panScrape the batter into a 6-inch springform pan. I bought this 6-inch springform pan for use in my air fryer, and since we are empty nestors, I have been using it in the oven for all sorts of things. It is very useful!

Brown-topped Apple Almond Olive Oil cake baked and out of the oven on a white counterOnce baked and out of the oven, cool it completely before removing from the pan. It should have a lovely color; baked goods that have honey often develop a wonderfully brown crust.

A wedge of Apple Almond Olive Oil small-batch cake on a white plate with a fork alongsideServe dusted with powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar), if you like. It will easily serve 6, or perhaps even 7 or 8 if you have lighter dessert eaters; it is very rich. But 6 for sure.

Apple, Almond Olive Oil Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: Serves 6

Apple, Almond Olive Oil Cake

Apple, Almond Olive Oil Cake is a rustic, farmhouse-style cake that's perfect for breakfast or dessert. It's naturally gluten-free.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large apples, cored, peeled and diced
  • Garnish: Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350F degrees. Grease a 6-inch springform cake pan with a tiny bit of olive oil.
  2. In a medium bowl, place the olive oil, honey, egg, vanilla and salt and mix to combine. Stir in almond flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda until well combined. Stir in apples.
  3. Spoon batter into the greased pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top. Shake the pan to ensure there are no gaps in the batter.
  4. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  5. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature.
  6. To serve, run a knife around the inside edge to release the cake from the edge of the pan, unlock the outer ring, and open the pan up. Cut cake into 6 pieces (or even 8 pieces if you have light eaters), put on plates and dust with powdered sugar for garnish.
  7. Serves 6.
  8. To store: Wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil after it's cooled, and freeze for up to a month.

Notes

Recipe source: adapted from Apple, Almond and Olive Oil Cake from "Mediterranean Lifestyle for Dummies," by Amy Riolo. Consult her original recipe for a full-size cake!

https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/apple-almond-olive-oil-cake/

About the cookbook

Mediterranean Lifestyle for Dummies book cover on a white marble backgroundThis recipe comes from a new book called “Mediterranean Lifestyle for Dummies,” by Amy Riolo. It’s an authoritative book on what is considered the healthiest lifestyle in the world. The book itself has about 30 recipes, so it’s not merely a cookbook, but more a guide to find a happier and healthier way of living without relying on fad diets, tricks or shortcuts. Amy talks about the cultural traditions and lifestyle components that merge with food choices to make a Mediterranean diet among the best on the planet. And as she points out,  dessert is part of the Mediterranean tradition, whether it’s eaten more sparingly through the week, or more opulently as part of a feast or celebration. “The notion of not having to cut anything out of your diet or your life is what has enabled the Mediterranean diet to be so effective and stand the test of time,” she writes. Amen. And consult her original recipe (page 262) for a full-size cake! 

pin this please!Pin the image below for Apple, Almond Olive Oil Cake to your Pinterest board to save this recipe

2 slices of Apple Almond Olive Oil Cake on white plates with the rest of the cake on a glass cakestand behind, and recipe title superimposed on top

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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

LovTay November 16, 2023 at 5:20 pm

Can you use palm sugar instead of the granular sugar? Also instead of honey can use dark maple suryp?

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold November 22, 2023 at 12:49 pm

LovTay,
I have never baked with palm sugar, so I can’t speak to how it would perform. I’m guess yes on the maple syrup instead of the honey. Try your tweaks and come back and tell me how it worked out! I’m interested.

Reply

Lovisa September 8, 2023 at 4:16 pm

Can you substitute the sugar for like brown sugar or cane sugar?

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold September 16, 2023 at 11:36 am

Lovisa,
So, you question is a little confusing to me. Granulated sugar is made from either sugarcane or beets, so when someone says cane sugar, usually they mean white granulated sugar. So I wonder if you are asking me if you can substitute granulated sugar or brown sugar for the honey? I haven’t tried it, but I think you could. Please note that the recipe calls for honey AND granulated sugar, which is probably why I feel confused. Or are you asking if brown sugar can be substituted instead of granulated white sugar. I think it could. Anyway, if I haven’t answered your question, please ask it again so I can try to help you.

Reply

John September 16, 2022 at 10:25 am

My grandma used to make apple cake but she didn’t use almonds. I’m gonna try this recipe sounds like a great combo.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold September 24, 2022 at 8:17 pm

John,
There are so many variations on apple cake. You cannot go wrong!

Reply

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