Roasted Apple-Almond Cake with Cardamom (gf/df)

I’m obsessed with Amy Chaplin’s new cookbook, Whole Food Cooking Everyday. (I’ve given several copies away as gifts.) Here moist almond cake is laced with cardamom and topped with caramelized apples and crunchy almonds. Free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar - it was also a big hit with all my “give me all the gluten, dairy, and sugar” eaters as well. Bonus, I love the unique rectangular shape. Pretty. Fancy. Pretty fancy.

OH! The apple topping is amazeballs. Roasting them with a touch of maple syrup and coconut oil intensifies the natural sweetness of the apples.

Photo credit: Today Show

ingredients

ROASTED APPLE TOPPING:

• 4 medium (1½ pounds) apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each

• 1 tablespoon melted extra-virgin coconut oil

• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

CAKE:

2½ cups almond flour

1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup melted extra virgin coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1teaspoon almond extract

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup whole raw almonds, roughly chopped

directions

ROASTED APPLE TOPPING:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Put the apples on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with the coconut oil and maple syrup and toss well to evenly coat. Spread out evenly and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the pan form the oven and gently turn the fruit over. Return to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes, or until the apples are golden brown and tender.

• Remove from the oven, slide the apples off the parchment onto a plate (they will stick if left to cool on the parchment) and set aside while you prepare the cake.

CAKE:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.

• Line a 9-inch round cake pan (or a rectangular cake pan 12X4) with parchment paper, creasing the paper against the sides of the pan as necessary.

• Put the almond flour in a medium bowl and use your fingertips to work out any lumps. Sift in the oat flour, baking powder and cardamom and whisk to combine; set aside.

• Beat the eggs in another medium bowl. Add the maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, almond extract and salt and whisk to combine.

• Pour into the almond flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula. Arrange the apples over the top, pressing them down a bit into the batter, and sprinkle with chopped almonds.

• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

• Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

• Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

yield

Serves 8

Cover any leftover cake and store for 1 day at cool room temperature or up to a week in the fridge; allow to come to room temperature before serving.