apple cake

The sight of an apple cake slice on a plate with whipped cream can do wonders, wouldn't you agree? Last year I made this recipe for my husband who loves apple cakes – not pies, he wants cakes. This is one of the recipes that came instantly, the first try was a hit and I promised hubby not to change a thing. If he were allowed to choose I would never have to bake anything else. However, just to get other people’s reaction, not as apple-cake biased as hubby, I have made this one for guests that are used to cakes with plenty of white sugar and butter and I have got nothing but praise. The list of ingredients is simple, the cake is easy to make, and the scent from the oven is heavenly. Just one reminder: Do not forget to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the apple slices! I cannot tell you how often I have been close to forgetting it ... or have forgotten it completely.

APPLE CAKE

INGREDIENTS

• 100 g raw cane sugar (½ cup)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave nectar
• 2 eggs
• 2½-3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 130 g spelt four (1 cup)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder, gluten-free (1 tsp if using regular)
• 2 red apples, preferably organic
• cinnamon sugar (raw cane sugar + cinnamon), as little or as much as you like

METHOD

1. In a medium bowl, mix the raw cane sugar, agave, eggs and coconut oil using a whisk or a fork (if the oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before use)
2. Mix the spelt flour and gluten-free baking powder in a separate bowl and add to the other blend with a spatula
3. Slice the apples with an apple slicer, peel off the skin and cut each slice into three, lengthwise
4. Line a spring form cake tin (20-24 cm/8-9.4 inches) with baking parchment or coat a pie dish with a small amount of coconut oil
5. Use a spatula to spread less than half of the batter into the bottom of the cake tin/pie dish. If the batter is stiff you can dip the spatula into a bowl of hot water
6. Arrange the apple slices in a circle over the bottom, allowing the slices to overlap (the smaller the cake tin/pie dish the more tightly they will overlap) and make sure you have some slices left to put in the centre
7. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the apple slices (in my home we do not think much about the ratio when making cinnamon sugar but I read somewhere that 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar to 1 teaspoon cinnamon makes a good blend when used for baking). You can also sprinkle cinnamon only
   
8. Spread the rest of the batter over the apple slices, being careful not to displace them. Remember to dip the spatula in hot water if the batter is stiff. The stiffness of the batter depends on the size of the eggs you use and/or the humidity in the kitchen. Sometimes I do not have to use a spatula to spread the batter; pouring it gently from the bowl over the slices seems to be enough. But I always use a spatula to scrape the rest from the bowl
9. Place in the oven and allow to bake for 40-55 minutes at 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 until golden (I use a fan-assisted oven for this one - bake at 160-170°C if not using fan-assisted). The smaller the cake tin/pie dish, the longer the baking time - stick a fork into the middle to see if the cake is ready
10. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream