I love me and apple cake, an apple pie, an apple tart, or an apple pastry.
Apple baking is the best kind of baking. It is delicious baking, it is cinnamon-scented, house-warming baking, it’s cosy, nostalgic, autumn baking. So when I see an apple recipe, I tend to jump on it.
What particularly appealed to me about this recipe is that fact that it is healthy! And gluten free, and dairy free too, if they’re things that are important to you.
This tart looks beautiful, and tastes lovely, of honey and almond and cinnamon and moist, sweet, apple. It tastes healthy too, so I could eat slices of it for breakfast, or as an afternoon snack, with no guilt.
But when I was eating it for dessert, and I wanted to make it decadent, I spooned a quenelle of mascarpone on top and generously drizzled salted caramel over the whole thing.
You can do whatever floats your boat with this one, guys. Enjoy. X
- 2 cups almond meal (200g)
- 1 tsp baking powder (gf if needed)
- ½ tsp dutch cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 large granny smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- Preheat the oven to 160 (320 F) and line the base and sides of a 9 inch springform tin with baking paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir in the olive oil, honey and eggs, until the mixture is combined.
- Spread the batter over the base of the cake tin.
- Arrange the apples in a standing-up rose pattern on the batter, starting in the middle and working your way out until you've used all the apple slices.
- I sprinkled my apples with a teaspoon of caster sugar, but this is optional.
- Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, until the cake is set and the apples are lightly browned at their edges.
- Serves 8 - 10. Keeps best if stored in the fridge.
- Happy baking!
Adapted from The Healthy Chef Theresa Cutter, via Sunday Life magazine.