apple & olive oil cake
we recently hosted a seasonal late summer gathering with some close friends and family to celebrate our engagement. it was a beautiful late afternoon that quickly turned into evening, given these shorter summer nights. one of the winning servings was by far the dessert; a simple apple and olive oil cake that was light and airy. the recipe case came from one of our favorite food blogs, sunday suppers, and with a few tweaks of lemon zest and juice, we transformed it into something with a little bit more tang to add a palette-cleansing end to the evening. it's unfortunate we didn't prepare two, because this dessert went quickly!
Recipe:
- 3 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups of brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk or cashew milk
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 medium apples (gala or fuji)
- cinnamon (for garnish)
preheat oven to 350ºF. line a 10-inch spring-form pan with parchment paper to avoid sticking. in a large bowl, add eggs and sugar. whisk together and stir in the wet ingredients: olive oil, milk and lemon zest. in a smaller bowl, use a sift and combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. add wet ingredients gradually, while continuously stirring until well combined. it is important not to over-mix the batter. once combined, pour batter into spring-form cake pan. give it a slight shake so it is evenly dispersed. set aside.
peel the apples and, using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice into rounds so they are all the same size - this will ensure that they bake evenly. to prevent browning, submerge apples in a small bowl of lemon juice as you slice them. top cake with apples and arrange as desired. a slight dusting of cinnamon is a nice finishing touch.
bake for 60-85 minutes, until the cake has become golden brown. to determine if the cake is cooked throughout, slide a tooth pick in to the center and if it comes out clean, remove from oven. be sure to allot enough cooling time before unveiling. Et voila! and if we may, this cake pairs perfectly with a warm cup of chai tea. just saying...