This cake, to bake in a 9" x 13" pan or in two 9" round cake pans, creates a simple, fluffy apple cake perfect for a coffee break or a brunch. Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, and this little gem becomes a healthful dessert. If you love apples, you'll love how this cake lets them shine.
Slice the cake into rectangles or wedges once cooled and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate thereafter, covered. This recipe calls for Spelt flour, but almost any flour works, even a high protein hard red spring wheat such as Red Fife. Try with a range of flours to discover your favourite flavour/texture combination.
Any baking apple, or variety of apples, will work beautifully. The recipe suggests between 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of sugar, depending on the natural sweetness level of the apples you choose. Just peel, cut the apples into medium dice, and toss them right into the batter. No need to sauté first.
In this version, one cup of chopped pecans are spread on the bottom of the baking pan. Walnuts or pumpkin seeds may be used instead. The cake is also perfectly lovely with no crunchy base ingredient at all. Because the nuts or seeds sit on the bottom of the pan, there is no need to toast them prior to baking. They will toast sufficiently while the cake bakes.
This cake has great texture, but it changes a bit as it mellows. Don't be surprised to find that the cake seems softer and fluffier on day two than it was fresh from the oven.
Luscious Spelt Flour Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 230 grams Spelt flour, or other whole grain wheat flour (2 1/2 cups)
- 185 to 230 grams sugar (1/2 to 3/4 cups)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 11/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 160 grams grape seed or sunflower oil (3/4 cup)
- 3 cups diced baking apples
Instructions
- Set oven for 350°. Line a 9" x 13" or two 9" round baking pans with parchment paper. Coat parchment lightly with butter. Spread nuts or seeds evenly over bottom, if used. Set aside.
- Sift together finely milled flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Combine eggs and sugar in mixing bowl with paddle attachment. Beat well for about 2 minutes.
- Peel apples and cut into medium dice.
- Gently blend flour mixture and oil alternately with the sugar mixture at low speed, starting and ending with the flour mixture. The batter will be thick.
- Add apple at low speed, mixing only until blended.
- Finish blending the apples into the batter by hand using a rubber spatula.
- Pour batter over the nuts or seeds in the baking pan, if used, or directly onto the parchment paper lined pan. The batter will need to be spread across the pan using a rubber spatula.
- Bake at 350°. Bake the 9" x 13" pan for about 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned. Bake the 9" round pans for about 35 to 40 minutes. Cake tester may appear moist if inserted too close to apple slices, but cake should not seem doughy. Cake should also spring back when lightly pressed with your finger.
- Remove from oven. Let cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before lifting the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper. Place on a cooling rack and let cool an additional 10-15 minutes. Once sufficiently cooled, flip the cake onto the back of the baking pan, peel off the parchment paper, and flip the cake back onto the cooling rack to cool completely before slicing as desired.
