Spiced Honey Apple Cake

Grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free with adjustment

I have several holiday traditions. First, watch Elf about 200 times. Second, twinkle lights everywhere. Third, the smell of a spiced treat, wafting through the house. When I was little, my mom would make gingerbread men and I would smell them all the way up in my bedroom. It is this smell, along with the twinkle lights that put me in the mood for the holidays. 

While the holidays are the prime time for cookies, there is always room for cake. I decided that I needed a break from the continual cookie baking and needed some cake. I wanted to make a cake that would be great for Christmas celebrations, Hanukah nights or just a cozy night in. The best way that I can describe this cake is somewhere between gingerbread and a honey cake; one is delightfully moist, sweet and floral while the other is dense, slightly bitter and warm with spice. The added bonus to this cake is that there is no need for a mixer, no alternating flour and milk, just a couple bowls, a whisk, spatula and a cake pan and 20 minutes to throw it all together. 

Now, as usual, a few words about the ingredients in this cake. 

Almond Flour

There is an Italian cake that I love, which is full of extra virgin olive oil, lemon and almond flour. Almond flour is great for cakes because it adds to the mix. By adding more fat to baked goods, especially cakes, you are adding moisture and tenderness. If there is one that that no one likes, it is a tough, dry cake. Using almond flour along with the honey and olive oil in this cake results in a delightfully moist, soft crumb. For almond flour, always make sure that you are using superfine almond flour (not almond meal). 

Potato Starch 

It might seem weird, but potato starch is one of my most-used ingredients for baked goods. In baking, gluten helps to give treats structure and chew. While I love almond flour on its own, I do think that it needs a bit of help when it comes to making a denser cake with a little bit of a chew. I realize that the idea of chew in a cake doesn’t seem all that appealing, but let me explain. The potato starch helps to keep the fatty almond flour together and give you that bounce in a cake. If you’ve watched Great British Baking Show then you know they call cake sponge; all sponges need a bit of bounce and structure. 

Potato starch is great in cakes, bars and cookies to give them structure and chew. You can buy it at most super markets. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill brand. Also, make sure you get potato starch, not potato flour. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

When standing in the super market in the oil aisle, there are all sorts of different olive oils. But really there are just three kinds: extra virgin, virgin and refined. Extra virgin has not been heated or treated with any other chemicals, while oils labeled olive oil have been. Being that is is not refined, extra virgin olive oil has the most olive flavor as well as the most nutritional benefits. Refined olive oil is just labeled olive oil; it is a mixture of refined and unrefined olive oils. It has been heated and also contains a higher acid level. 

When it comes to baking, I will usually reach for a fairly inexpensive extra virgin olive oil. Firstly, I want the lower acidity. Secondly, extra virgin has a fruity flavor that I just love in cakes. The fruity olive oil works so well with the floral honey and warm spice. If you don’t want to use the good stuff in this cake, that is just fine. Avocado oil will work just fine. But I highly recommend extra virgin olive oil. 

Buttermilk 

Buttermilk is not just for pancakes and biscuits. In a cakes, it is a dream. Buttermilk is essentially cultured cream or milk. Originally it came from the by-prduct of churning butter (hence the name buttermilk). There is actually not butter fat in buttermilk. Nowadays, buttermilk is made from culturing low-fat milk and allowing it to ferment. So pretty much yogurt. 

In baking the acidity of buttermilk not only activates the leavening agent, but also tenderizes your cakes, biscuits or pancakes. Not to mention that slight tang that it lends is delectable. 

If you don’t want to buy buttermilk, then add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of milk (including coconut milk) and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. The milk will curdle a little bit, but that is what you want. 

Enough of my rambling. Let’s make some cake. Don’t forget to tag me (@yespleasebakes) in your recreations!  

Recipe 

191g (1.5 cups) superfine almond flour 

89g (1/2 cup) potato starch 

1/2 tsp sea salt 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp ginger 

1 tsp cloves 

1 tsp baking powder 

73g (1/3 cup) olive oil (I prefer extra virgin for this cake)

55g (about 1/4 cup) clover honey

100g (1/2 cup) organic light brown sugar (you can use coconut sugar if you prefer) 

88g (1/3 cup) buttermilk*

2 large eggs 

1 medium apple (on the sweeter side), cored, thinly sliced. (I leave the peel on)

Raw cane sugar for topping

Preheat the oven to 350F. Liberally grease (recommend coconut oil for this) an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, potato starch, salt, spice and baking powder. Make sure to get out any lumps in the almond flour. Set aside 

In a large bowl, add the olive oil, honey, brown sugar, eggs and buttermilk. Whisk together until everything is combined and the mixture is smooth. The honey can take some time to blend in, but it will. 

Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. When the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to spread it evenly around the pan. Give the pan a few thwaps against the counter to remove any big air bubbles. It’s also oddly satisfying. 

Arrange the slices of apples around the top of the cake. Let your inner Ina Garten out with them. Sprinkle the raw cane sugar over the apples. 

Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the middle is set. Let cool completely before removing from the pan. 

This cake is perfect on its own. If you want some topping, try a little runny yogurt, softly whipped cream or ice cream. 

*If you want to make this cake dairy-free, swap runny dairy-free yogurt for the buttermilk or homemade coconut buttermilk.  

Adjustment: If you prefer your apples in your cake rather then on them, peel, core and chop the apple, lightly toss the pieces in potato starch. Add the apple bits to the cake after the dry and wet are combined. To top the cake, combine 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of orange juice and whisk until smooth. Pour over the cake and and leave to set (it helps to stick it in the fridge to set the icing).