Apple Olive Oil Cake with Almonds and Crumble

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F); lightly grease a small springform pan Ø 18–20 cm with oil or line it with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Peel the apples, halve them, remove the core, and slice them thinly; immediately mix with lemon juice and cinnamon.

   2 small, ≈300 g peeled and sliced Apples (tart, e.g., Gala or Braeburn)1 tbsp (≈15 ml) Lemon Juice (for apples)1/2 tsp Cinnamon (for the apples)
3. 3

   In a large bowl, briefly mix flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

   120 g All-purpose Flour80 g Ground Almonds1 tsp (≈4 g) Baking Powder1 pinch Salt1/2 tsp Cinnamon (for the batter)
4. 4

   In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, vanilla sugar, lemon zest, and the egg until smooth, then stir in olive oil and lemon juice.

   80 g Sugar1 tsp (≈4 g) Vanilla Sugar1 tsp Lemon Zest, finely grated1 (≈55 g) Egg (size M)60 ml Olive Oil (mild)1 tbsp (≈15 ml) Lemon Juice
5. 5

   Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir with a spatula just until a homogeneous, slightly thick batter forms; do not mix too long.

   120 g All-purpose Flour80 g Ground Almonds1 tsp (≈4 g) Baking Powder1 pinch Salt1/2 tsp Cinnamon (for the batter)80 g Sugar1 tsp (≈4 g) Vanilla Sugar1 tsp Lemon Zest, finely grated1 (≈55 g) Egg (size M)60 ml Olive Oil (mild)1 tbsp (≈15 ml) Lemon Juice
6. 6

   Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top; arrange the apple slices in a fan shape on top of the batter and gently press them in.

   2 small, ≈300 g peeled and sliced Apples (tart, e.g., Gala or Braeburn)
7. 7

   For the crumble, rub ground almonds with sugar, cinnamon, and olive oil using your fingertips or a fork until crumbly, then evenly sprinkle over the apples.

   30 g Ground Almonds (for crumble)20 g Sugar (for crumble)1/4 tsp Cinnamon (for crumble)15 ml (1 tbsp) Olive Oil (for crumble)
8. 8

   Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 14–16 minutes, then check with a wooden skewer: the edges should be firm and the center slightly springy; bake for an additional 2–4 minutes if needed.

9. 9

   Remove the cake from the oven, let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and let it cool completely on a rack or serve warm.

Origin & History

Olive oil cakes are common throughout the Mediterranean region; they use local olive oil instead of butter and are often nutty and lemony. The combination of ground almonds and fresh apples blends Southern Italian and Levantine baking traditions with fruity home cooking.