Whole Wheat Apple Olive Oil Cake

Searching for a dessert for a friend who is working hard on his increasing health, I first made a few versions of an Almond Cake by Molly Wizenberg, adapted by Mark Bittman and Sam Sifton. Lovely and luscious in every way, but it needed to include more whole grains, less sugar, and perhaps some fruit. After a few tries, I’ve come up with this whole wheat and apple version my friend adored. Success! I may yet try it with even less sugar. A little whipped cream or a few berries are nice for garnishes but the cake is just fine as is with big cup of coffee.

8 servings

Ingredients

6 ounces almonds, toasted and ground (close to 2 cups sliced almonds/ about 1 1/3 cups whole almonds)
1 medium lemon, zested and juiced
1 cup (113 grams) whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 large eggs
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (198) grams granulated sugar
2/3 cup (158 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil
1 medium tart apple, peeled and cut into small dice
Powdered sugar for sprinkling after baking

Instructions

PREPARATION: Preheat oven to 350 F. Set rack at center. Grease a 9” springform pan. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
SET ASIDE the ground toasted almonds and the lemon zest and juice.
STIR TOGETHER the flour and the baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
BEAT TOGETHER the eggs with the salt in a large bowl. Beat in the sugar. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Add the reserved lemon zest, lemon juice, toasted ground almonds, and olive oil and beat until incorporated. Stir in the diced apples.
POUR THE BATTER into the prepared springform pan and place it on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake should be a deep golden brown. Do not over bake.
RUN A THIN, SMALL KNIFE around the edges of the pan. Let cool 10 minutes. Unmold and dust with powdered sugar. Cool and serve as is or with berries or whipped cream if you like. Cover tightly and store 2-3 days at room temperature or double wrap and freeze for no more than 2 weeks.

Notes

Cook’s Notes: I toasted my almonds in a skillet over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Instead of dusting the cake with powdered sugar, you might choose to brush it with couple of tablespoons of warmed apricot jam. The weights used in my ingredient deck are from King Arthur.