Dessert · American
Apple and Almond Cake
Golden apple cake with almond extract, a soft fruit layer and light icing-sugar finish, baked in a 23 cm round tin with cooling guidance for eight slices.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 110 min
- Serves
- 8 slices
Cook it
Method
Heat a conventional oven to 160°C (325°F). Grease a 23 cm round springform tin and line its base with baking paper. Set the tin on a baking tray to catch any butter that escapes.
Melt the butter gently, then let it cool until warm rather than hot. Beat the eggs lightly in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, almond extract and cooled butter until combined.
Mix the self-raising flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Fold them into the wet mixture until no dry flour remains. Expect a thick, stiff batter; do not add milk to make it pourable.
Spread just under two-thirds of the batter across the base of the prepared tin. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples, weighing 330 g of prepared fruit. Arrange them evenly over the batter, then spoon the remaining batter over the apples and gently spread it. Small gaps are fine.
Bake on the middle shelf for 75–90 minutes, checking from 75 minutes. The top should be golden and set, and a skewer inserted into cake crumb near the centre should show no wet batter. Avoid testing only through a piece of moist apple. If the top browns before the centre sets, cover loosely with foil and continue baking.
Let the cake stand in its tin for about 15 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edge and carefully release the sides. Transfer to a rack and allow to cool enough to hold its shape before slicing; cooling time is additional to the preparation and baking estimate.
Dust with the optional icing sugar after cooling and cut into eight slices. Serve on its own. Cream or ice cream can be added at serving time but is not included in these ingredient quantities.
Make it work
Useful substitutions
- Use a firm tart apple that keeps some shape during baking. Very juicy apples may make the centre wetter and need longer in the oven; check the crumb rather than relying only on the clock.
- Vanilla extract can replace almond extract at the same volume, but the cake will then have a different flavour. Check labels rather than assuming a flavouring is nut-free.
- Self-raising flour already contains raising agents, and this source formula also adds baking powder. Do not replace it with plain flour without a separately calculated raising-agent adjustment.
Keep it well
Storage and reheating
- For a conservative storage approach to this moist fruit cake, refrigerate cooled slices in a covered shallow container within 2 hours. Under USDA FSIS leftovers guidance, use within 3 to 4 days or freeze individual portions promptly.
- If serving with cream or another perishable topping, add it only to the portions being served and keep the remainder refrigerated.
- Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator. The cake may be eaten chilled; if reheating a portion, heat it throughout to 74°C (165°F).
Recipe notes
Sources and cooking notes
This cake uses almond extract for flavour, not ground almonds. The batter is deliberately stiff, so spread it with the back of a spoon rather than adding liquid. Baking takes about 75–90 minutes; the displayed cooking time allows for the longer end. Allow additional cooling time before slicing.
- Cookbook:Apple and Almond Cake — Source ingredient formula and cooking sequence; adapted with the changes listed below.
- AI Love Food editorial methodology — Clarified preparation, equipment, timing estimates and troubleshooting notes.
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety — Refrigeration within 2 hours, shallow-container cooling, 3 to 4 days of refrigerated storage and reheating leftovers to 74°C (165°F).
- FDA: Handling Flour Safely — Do not taste raw flour or egg batter; clean surfaces and utensils after preparation.
Cooking tips and troubleshooting
Why there are no ground almonds
The almond flavour comes from extract. Ground almonds would change the moisture balance and structure, so they are not a direct replacement for the flour. Choose the flavouring deliberately and check its label if allergies matter.
Layering a stiff batter
Use small spoonfuls for the top layer and join them gently with the back of a spoon. Trying to pour or aggressively press the batter can move the apples into a pile. An even fruit layer helps the centre bake more consistently.
Changing the number of slices
Cutting the same cake into more slices does not require more batter. If you scale the actual recipe, keep the batter depth similar by using suitable tins. For a double batch, use two 23 cm tins and check both individually; do not simply double the baking time.
Recipe source and licence
Adapted by AI Love Food from Cookbook:Apple and Almond Cake by Wikibooks contributors (contributor history). This adapted recipe text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0. The image is credited separately.
Adapted from Cookbook:Apple and Almond Cake. Retains the source metric formula, eight-slice yield, 23 cm tin and 160°C oven. Specifies egg size, cools the melted butter before adding eggs, gives a measured optional icing-sugar amount, adds doneness checks and clarifies timing, substitutions and storage. This adapted recipe text is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; the illustration is separately generated.