The Best Olive Oil Apple Spice Cake Recipe

Welcome in the Fall season with this delicious Apple Spice Cake! With fresh apples, the perfect blend of warming spices, and pantry baking staples, this perfect cake is packed with Fall flavor, and will be one of your favorite recipes in no time! 

a slice of apple spice cake on a cake stand

Why You’ll Love This Easy Apple Spice Cake Recipe

When September rolls around, I drop berries and stone fruits like a hot potato and move right on over to apples and pears for fruit desserts. I taught this Olive Oil Apple Spice  Cake last year and then proceeded to make it for the Jewish holidays and every time we had people over in the Fall.  Then all my friends who ate it asked me for the recipe and I told them, “Sorry, it’s exclusive to my online cooking class!”  Little did they know I tweaked an Ottolenghi recipe. LOL. This cake reminds me of a better version of the Silver Palate chunky apple walnut cake that I made 100 times when I was in college.

  • Cake can be made 2-3 days in advance
  • It’s so apple-y!
  • The ultimate fall cake, perfect for holidays and entertaining
  • Freezes well
  • No need for frosting, glaze, or anything over-the-top!

If you’re looking for more apple recipes, try these: Apple Amaretti Crisp, Apple Fritter Skillet Cake, or Grain-Free Apple Tarte Tartin.

Ingredient Notes

This recipe calls for very simple ingredients– many of which you may already have on hand. Please see recipe substitutions in the recipe card below to make a gluten-free version or to swap ingredients if you don’t have them. 

recipe ingredients on a marble counter

  • Raisins: I prefer unsulphured raisins. 
  • All-purpose flour: I know I rarely use all-purpose flour, but it helps keep this cake from getting too heavy.
  • Buckwheat or Rye flour: This has a nice earthy taste that provides an interesting flavor in baked goods and pancakes. You can use more whole wheat pastry if you don’t have either of these. 
  • Whole wheat pastry flour: milled from white wheat berries, this is lighter than traditional “whole wheat flour” and less bitter. I love the earthiness whole grain flours provide.
  • Cinnamon: apples and cinnamon are BFF’s!
  • Nutmeg: I love a little nutmeg, but it can get overpowering, so I am conservative when I use it.
  • Cloves or Allspice: a little goes a long way. That’s why I only use 1/8th teaspoon. 
  • Baking soda: Standard Arm & Hammer baking soda reacts with the acidic ingredients to provide extra leavening.
  • Baking powder: I prefer an aluminum-free baking powder to avoid a metallic taste in baked goods. Besides, it’s not like we need any more aluminum in our diet. 
  • Apples: now is the season even though you see apples year-round at the market. I like Granny Smith apples, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Honeycrisp apples, or Fuji, but use what you like.  
  • Sugar: I use a dry sweetener in this recipe. I recommend cane sugar because it dissolves well and is light-colored. You can also use maple sugar (more expensive), coconut sugar (will result in a darker cake), or light brown sugar if that’s all you have. 
  • Olive oil: is one of my go-to fats of choice in baked goods. Olive oil pairs well with fruit, vegetables, and chocolate.
  • Eggs: I use 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites. 
  • Vanilla extract: look for pure vanilla extract with no additives or artificial flavors. 
  • Citrus zest: I like to use orange or lemon zest. 

Step-by-Step Instructions 

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 9-inch round springform pan with olive oil and line the bottom with unbleached parchment paper. Set aside. 

raisins simmering in a saucepan

Step 2: Place the raisins and 2/3 cup of the water in a medium saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the raisins are plump, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain any remaining water in the pan. Set aside.

hands cutting apples on a cutting board

Step 3: Whisk the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Peel and core the apples, then cut into 1-inch pieces and set aside in a separate bowl. The apples may start to oxidize if you do this in advance, but it’s ok because you won’t be able to tell when the cake bakes.

apple spice cake batter in a mixing bowl

Step 4: Place the sugar, olive oil, whole eggs, vanilla and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is light in color and has thickened a little. You don’t want to beat at such a high speed since it can create air bubbles. Remove the bowl from the machine and, using a large spatula, add the dry ingredients and gently fold to combine. Add the apples, raisins, and the remaining 1/3 cup water (or equivalent amount of calvados, if using) and stir to combine.

a hand holding a whisk to show the stiff peaks of egg whites

Step 5: Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk at high speed until soft peaks form. This will take a little longer if you’re using a stand mixer due to the small amount of egg whites. Gently fold in the egg whites into the batter, then transfer the cake batter into the prepared pan.

raw apple spice cake batter in a spring form pan

Step 6: Smooth the top with a spatula and bake in your preheated oven for 40 – 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Run a thin knife along the perimeter of the cake, unmold and transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool completely.

baked apple spice cake right out of the oven

Step 7: Once cool, you can dust with a little powdered sugar if desired.

an overhead shot of an apple spice cake on a serving platter

Recipe Tips 

  • Use room temperature ingredients, especially eggs. You may not realize it, but it makes a difference!
  • Don’t use your peppery, artisanal $50 olive oil here. Just the one you use for daily cooking is fine.
  • Use the apples you enjoy. I tend to prefer Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady in cakes.
  • Use a toothpick or skewer to determine if the cake is done. Dry crumbs are ok. A sticky batter is not.
  • If you don’t have a springform pan, use a 9-inch round with parchment lining the inside and coming up the top at least an inch.
  • While this is a delicious cake on its own, if you want to drizzle a little caramel syrup or layer a little cream cheese frosting over the top, that is an option. 

Recipe Substitutions

  • Buckwheat or rye flour – Use more whole wheat pastry flour 
  • Wheat flours – Use a good GF flour blend, like King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill.
  • Ground cloves – allspice
  • Cane sugar – Maple sugar or coconut sugar. Keep in mind that white sugars result in a lighter cake, where darker sugars will make the cake more brown. 
  • Orange zest – Lemon zest
  • Raisins – Diced dates or chopped walnuts

Storage and Serving Tips

You can slice and serve this easy apple cake by itself or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or salted caramel ice cream!) or a dollop of whipped cream. Lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired. 

 

Store your cake in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep for 2 days at room temperature or 5-6 days in the refrigerator. 

 

For longer storage, let the apple spice cake cool completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let it sit for a bit at room temperature before serving! 

a slice taken out of a cake on a stand

More Fall Dessert Recipes

 

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The Best Olive Oil Apple Spice Cake Recipe

Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi
Welcome in the Fall season with this delicious Apple Spice Cake! With fresh apples, the perfect blend of warming spices, and pantry baking staples, this perfect cake is packed with Fall flavor, and will be one of your favorite recipes in no time!
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 8 -10

Ingredients
  

  • 2/3 cup unsulphured raisins any color (I bet diced dates would be great, too)
  • 1 cup water divided OR â…” cups water + â…“ cup calvados (apple brandy)
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup buckwheat or rye flour or just use more whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • â…› teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 ¾ pounds apples about 3 large, such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Honeycrisp or Fuji
  • 1 cup unbleached organic cane sugar maple sugar, or coconut sugar
  • â…” cup unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil + extra for greasing pan
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten, plus 2 large egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest
  • Optional: powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 9-inch round springform pan with olive oil and line the bottom with unbleached parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Place the raisins and 2/3 cup of the water in a medium saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the raisins are plump, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain any remaining water in the pan. Set aside.
  • Whisk the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Peel and core the apples, then cut into 1-inch pieces and set aside in a separate bowl. The apples may start to oxidize if you do this in advance, but it’s ok because you won’t be able to tell when the cake bakes.
  • Place the sugar, olive oil, whole eggs, vanilla and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is light in color and has thickened a little. Remove the bowl from the machine and, using a large spatula, add the dry mix and gently fold to combine. Add the apples, raisins, and the remaining 1/3 cup water (or equivalent amount of calvados, if using) and stir to combine.
  • Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk at high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the egg whites into the batter, then transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and bake for 40 - 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Run a thin knife along the perimeter of the cake, unmold and transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Once cool, you can dust with a little powdered sugar, if desired.

Notes

Recipe Tips
Use room temperature ingredients, especially eggs. You may not realize it, but it makes a difference!
Don't use your peppery, artisanal $50 olive oil here. Just the one you use for daily cooking is fine.
Use the apples you enjoy. I tend to prefer Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady in cakes.
Use a toothpick or skewer to determine if the cake is done. Dry crumbs are ok. A sticky batter is not.
If you don't have a springform pan, use a 9-inch round with parchment lining the inside and coming up the top at least an inch.
While this is a delicious cake on its own, if you want to drizzle a little caramel syrup or layer a little cream cheese frosting over the top, that is an option (Ottolenghi suggests a maple-cream cheese frosting, but I didn't think it needed it.)
Recipe Substitutions
Buckwheat or rye flour - Use more whole wheat pastry flour
Wheat flours - Use a good GF flour blend, like King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill.
Ground cloves - allspice
Cane sugar - Maple sugar or coconut sugar. Keep in mind that white sugars result in a lighter cake, where darker sugars will make the cake more brown.
Orange zest - Lemon zest
Raisins - Diced dates or chopped walnuts
Storage and Serving Tips
You can slice and serve this easy apple cake by itself or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or salted caramel ice cream!) or a dollop of whipped cream. Lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.
Store your cake in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap. It will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature or 5-6 days in the refrigerator.
For longer storage, let the cake cool completely. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let it sit for a bit at room temperature before serving!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

 

 

Apple Pie Granita recipe (refined sugar-free)

apple pie granita sundaes | pamela salzman

My grandparents had a cute place in the Pocono mountains when I was growing up.  We would go for a week in the summer and occasionally for a long weekend during Thanksgiving and Presidents’ weekend.  Summers were the best though, because we were always outside playing badminton or bocce on the bocce alley my grandfather built.   Or picking wild blackberries until our arms were scratched from top to bottom.

some of the ingredients

My grandmother, my aunt and my mother would go to the market every day it seemed.  I swear we weren’t done with breakfast before my grandmother nervously asked, “Ok, now what are we doing about lunch?”  Everything revolved around food and mealtime. “Don’t go out now or you’ll be late for supper!”  “What time does everyone want to eat?”  “What should we make tonight for dinner?”  And so on.  Now that I direct mealtime at my parents’ house in the summer when I visit, I sort of see the obsession.  You can’t just wing it when you’re feeding a crowd and it’s no picnic when you’ve got hungry kids (or adults!)

dissolve everything in the apple juice

I always loved everything the ladies cooked, but there was a special dessert that my uncle used to make that blew my mind.  He would take the leftover espresso from the morning and dissolve sugar into it and a little water and freeze the whole thing.  In between bocce matches, he would go to the freezer and scrape the mixture into slushy, icy bits.  He called it granita di caffe.  It was like coffee ice, but we actually made it at home without any fancy machinery and it was delicious!  Of course I couldn’t  have too much because I was like 7 years old, so eventually he made us children granita di limone, lemon ice.  It was like a lemonade slushy.  Heaven.

pour the mixture into a glass baking dish

I had a dinner party over the weekend and because the weather is still warm where I live, I decided to try an apple granita for dessert.  WINNER!!!  Talk about the easiest, tasty, fresh, light, seasonal dessert.  It was also perfect because two of my girlfriends are dairy-free.  If you can imagine a light and crispy apple slushy ice infused with fall spices, this is apple granita.  I also had a granita sundae bar set up so we could layer the granita with caramel ice cream, crushed gingersnap cookies and dehydrated apple slices.  Just so good and did I mention easy?  Plus I did it a few days ahead and you know how much I love getting things done early.

scrape with a fork

What I love about granita is that it seems like a special dessert, but it’s really so easy you could make it for your kids for an after school snack, which I did for Mr. Picky yesterday.  He freaked out!  And when I told him I made it by myself without a machine, he started making all sorts of plans for future granitas, like Gatorade granita.  Creative, but not happening of course.  Just a dollop of whipped cream on top and some crushed gingersnaps made Mr. Picky forget about everything else for a bit.  Just like when I was a kid.

apple pie granites | pamela salzman

apple pie granita sundaes | pamela salzman

Apple Pie Granita

Pamela, adapted from foodandwine.com
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups natural-style apple juice preferably organic
  • 6-8 Tablespoons Grade A maple syrup or cane sugar
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch ground nutmeg
  • Pinch ground allspice

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan, combine all of the ingredients and cook over moderate heat, whisking until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Do this step even if you are using a liquid sweetener as the heat will enhance the flavors of the spices.
  • Pour mixture into an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish. Freeze until icy around the edges, about an hour.
  • Using a fork, scrape the icy shards into the center. Continue to freeze, scraping occasionally and smashing any large lumps until coarse crystals form, about 3-4 hours longer. The end result should be a fluffy, coarse You can also use a large baking dish and the process will go more quickly. Keep frozen until ready to serve. The granita can be made a week in advance.

Notes

There are probably other sweeteners that you can use, but I only tested the recipe with maple syrup and cane sugar. I thought the recipe was a tad too sweet with 1/2 cup of sugar, but my friends thought it was perfect. If you tend to prefer desserts that are not too sweet, then use the lower amount of sugar/syrup.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!