Apple & Almond Cake
- 1 cup almonds or 1 cup almond flour/meal
- 1 cup of spelt or whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon + more for dusting
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Pinch salt
- 1 small banana, mashed (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- ⅓ cup yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 small apples
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds
Almond flour always seems like a frivolous expense when you can easily make your own. If you don’t have it on hand, start by making it in your food processor. Add 1 cup whole almonds along with 1 tbsp of spelt flour. Process until you get floury texture, but be careful not to overprocess as you don’t want the almonds to release their oil and turn into butter. Measure one cup and reserve the rest, if any, for another use.
Preheat oven at 350F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and oil the sides.
In medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and set aside (1 cup almond meal, spelt flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt). In large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, honey, eggs, melted butter, yogurt, and vanilla.
Peel, core and quarter the apples. Grate one of the three apples and slice the rest. Add the grated apple to the wet ingredients and whisk to incorporate.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the sliced apples.
Pour into prepared 9-inch cake pan, sprinkle with the sliced almonds and dust with cinnamon. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool down for 30 minutes before removing it from the baking pan.
Slice and enjoy with a warming cup of tea, perhaps.
Recipe inspired by the Star Anise Cafe Cookbook.