Apple, Spelt & Olive Oil Tray Cake
Recipe by: Fiona Hammond, March 2024
This makes for an easy and warming dessert to whip up for a crowd, or it’s perfect to have on hand to serve with a cuppa over a few days because the olive oil lends a moist and good keeping quality. It’s a versatile recipe – any apple can be used though make sure to slice thinly so they soften.
- Summer, Autumn
- 550g apples (about 4-5 medium size) *see note
- Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon,
- 110g (1/2 cup) castor sugar, plus extra for coating apple slices
- 80g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 4 eggs size (XL Yolkey Dokey)
- 250ml (1 cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200g (1 1/3 cup) spelt flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice, plus extra
- 110g (1 cup) almond meal
- Icing sugar, for dusting
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line the sides and base of a deep 20cm x 28cm baking tin with baking paper.**
- Quarter, peel, core and thinly slice the apples and place in a bowl. Pour over the lemon juice and toss to coat well. This will prevent the slices browning.
- In a large bowl whisk the sugars, eggs, oil, vanilla extract and lemon zest together until thick and smooth. Sift the flour, baking powder, spice and almond meal over the mixture, then stir for about 2 minutes until a smooth batter forms, without any lumps. Pour half the batter into the lined tray and spread out evenly. Arrange two thirds of the apple slices over the top, in an even layer. Spoon the remaining batter over the apples. Giving the tin a gentle tap while spreading helps the batter to move and cover the apple layer.
- Add the extra tablespoon of sugar and ½ teaspoon mixed spice to the remaining apple slices and toss to coat well. Arrange the slices over the cake batter surface.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Lift the cake out of tin holding on to the baking paper (or invert onto cake rack). If eating warm, dust with icing sugar and cut the cake in to serving size pieces. Top with a dollop of yoghurt, cream or ice-cream. Otherwise, allow to cool completely and serve at room temperature.
Store in an airtight container. The cake is best eaten within 4 days.
*For the decorative circular apple slices shown in the photo, reserve one apple for topping then core, peel and thinly slice into circles. Coat in the lemon juice.
**And if you don’t have a large baking tin, the recipe makes two 20cm round cakes instead, just reduce the cooking time to about 40-45 minutes. It freezes well too. For an autumn alternative, switch out the apples and replace with pears.