I found this recipe in one of my mom’s forgotten recipe notebooks. I love everything apple, so finding this recipe gave me goosebumps! It’s a cake from my childhood, one that brings back memories of kitchen gatherings at our house. My sister, mom and I, drinking coffee and talking about food, over a slice of this moist apple cake.

This cake is dairy free. It’s made with olive oil which makes it incredibly moist. It’s not overly sweet since my mom never liked sugary things. The apples are the star of this cake and are great with the toasted almonds. You can, of course, substitute walnuts or pecans. It’s an absolutely tender, moist, delicious apple cake. Packed with fruit as it should be.

Ingredients

• 780-800 grams golden delicious apples
• 3 Tbs sherry or brandy
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 Tbs lemon zest
• 3 large eggs
• 285 grams granulated sugar
• 125 ml olive oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 320 gr all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 120 gr roasted almonds, coarsely chopped*

*To roast almonds, spread them on a baking sheet (don’t peel them for maximum flavor and taste) and roast in a preheated 175 C oven for 8-10 minutes until fragrant.

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 C, fan. Butter a loaf pan (mine is 11 x 28 cm). Line base and sides with parchment paper, leaving some overhang. This will help you to lift the cake out of the pan once its baked.

Peel, core and cut apples in small cubes. Mix apples in a bowl with the sherry, lemon juice and lemon zest.

In a mixer bowl, whisk eggs with sugar until fluffy and creamy. Whisk in olive oil and vanilla extract.

Sift flour with baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add flour to egg mixture and mix until just combined. Don’t overbeat. Add Apples and their juices together with the chopped almonds. Mix with a spatula.

Transfer cake batter to prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 80-90 minutes, until a cake tester, inserted in the tallest part of the cake, comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Use the overhanging paper to lift paper. Set cake (with the paper) on a wire rack to cool.

Once completely cool, transfer cake on a serving platter. Discard paper. Slice and serve. The cake will be at its moistest, the next day.