This Apple and Almond Cake is a deliciously light, moist and flavourful gluten-free dessert. It combines a soft almond meal cake, melt-in-your-mouth apple slices and simple flaked almond topping.
Preheat your oven on 160'C/325'F. Line the bottom of a 22cm / 9inch Springform Pan baking paper and greasing the edges.
Peel, core then slice the apples into thin slices. Set aside.
3 Small Apples
Separate the Egg Yolks and Whites. Place the Yolks in a large mixing bowl and the Whites in the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer).
3 large Eggs
Add the Salt to the Egg Whites and whisk on medium to medium high speed until you reach stiff peaks. Set aside.
1 pinch Fine Table Salt
Add the Brown Sugar to the Egg Yolks and whisk for a couple of minutes until frothy and lighter in colour.
70 gr (1/3 cup) Brown Sugar
Whisk in the Oil and Cream, then the sifted Almond Meal and Cinnamon.
90 ml (1/3 cup) Canola Oil, 90 ml (1/3 cup) Heavy / Thickened Cream, 200 gr (2 cups) Almond Meal, 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Gently fold in the whipped Egg Whites in 4 or 5 times with a spatula (see note 1). Continue to fold until all the egg whites have been incorporated and you cannot see lumps.
Pour about one third of the cake batter into the springform pan. Cover with a thin layer of sliced apple, then top with the second third of cake batter. Continue to layer the batter and apples until it has all been used, finishing with one layer of apples.
Top with the Flaked Almonds and optionally a sprinkle of Demerara Sugar.
Flaked Almond, Demerara Sugar (or raw sugar)
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, then set aside to cool down completely before removing from the pan.
Optionally, dust with a little bit of powdered sugar just before serving.
Notes
Ingredients Notes:
Apples: depending on the size of your apples, you may need 2 or 3. I used Pink Lady Apples but you could also use Granny Smith or Gala.
Almond Meal: can be substituted with almond flour but it will change the texture of the cake slightly.
Cream: can be substituted with a plant-based / dairy-free cream to make this cake dairy-free, but note that if using a flavoured cream like coconut cream, it will change the flavours of the cake.
Instruction Notes:
It is really important to be gentle when you fold the egg whites in. The air contained in the whipped egg whites is the only element that will make the cake rise, so if you deflate it, the cake will be more dense.