

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!
And 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 for us. 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? (Scroll down below for her original full-size recipe.)
How to make Apple Almond Olive Oil Cake
First, 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)
This 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.
Scrape 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 nesters, I have been using it in the oven for all sorts of things. It is very useful!
Once 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.
Serve 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 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
- Heat oven to 350F degrees. Grease a 6-inch springform cake pan with a tiny bit of olive oil.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- 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.
- Serves 6.
- 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!
About the cookbook
This 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!
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Amy Riolo’s original full-size recipe
…for readers who asked
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I doubled the recipe and baked it in a full-size springform pan.
It looked beautiful but did not cook in the middle also was way too sweet. It was inedible. What a waste of $10 almond flour.
Rosemary,
Sorry it exceeded your sweetness meter. Flavors and sweet/bitter/salty/ are very personal, aren’t they? I didn’t find it overly sweet, and I tend to like things not as sweet as most Americans like them. It’s a very moist cake (I think it shows that in the photo, right?). Did you see the snapshot on the page of her original recipe, and did you follow those proportions? If a baked item ever seems not cooked in the middle, bake it for longer. Question: Do you have a free-standing oven thermometer in your oven? I recommend getting one, and the reason is that per manufacturers, ovens can be 25 degrees over or under what you set them at and still be considered correct. I’m going to guess that your oven runs colder than what you set it at, and what is displayed. So you might have to add 5-10 minutes to get the cake center where you want it. For example, if you set your oven to 350F and it is really running at 325F, you can see how it will take longer to bake through. So quick advice is to get a free-standing oven thermometer and test it in your oven — put the thermometer in the oven on the rack and set oven to 350. Allow it to heat for AT LEAST 20 MINUTES and up to 30 minutes, then open the door and read the inside thermometer. Make note of how much it differs from the setting on your oven, and in which direction, and adjust your baking temp in the future. Thanks for making the cake and reporting back. I’m sorry it wasn’t to your liking.
Hi, Dorothy ~
Since Amy Riolo’s original recipe is no longer available online, I’m wondering exactly how you modified your own version of it, other than by halving the ingredients and reducing the pan size?
Thank you so much for offering such wonderful recipes on your website!
Vivi,
I put her original recipe in the post, so you can make the full-size version if you like. I’ll say Her book is well worth owning, with lots of wonderful recipes. I have so many marked to try.
Just to confirm, the recipe you listed is already halved? Thanks!
LB, you are correct. The recipe I have here in the recipe card is halved and slightly adjusted from her original recipe. Happy baking!
Can you use palm sugar instead of the granular sugar? Also instead of honey can use dark maple suryp?
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.
Can you substitute the sugar for like brown sugar or cane sugar?
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.
My grandma used to make apple cake but she didn’t use almonds. I’m gonna try this recipe sounds like a great combo.
John,
There are so many variations on apple cake. You cannot go wrong!