Applesauce Almond Cake

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I am sitting here on the couch looking out across the lush Umbrian countryside, and I am having a very difficult time believing that tomorrow is October 1st. Where did the time go? After a very cool and rainy summer, we are having a wonderful warm and sunny fall and I am hoping that the cooler weather holds off just a few more weeks.

I am loving these warm fall temperatures, particularly after a not so pleasant summer. We have just one month left before we leave Umbria this year, so I find myself once again trying to use up everything I have stored in my freezer. I also have a number of perishable items that will not hold until we return in six months that including two bags of almond flour in my freezer. I decided to bake another one of my favorite rustic style cakes using almond meal as well as fall apples.

I have been waiting all season for our apples to ripen on our two little trees, and finally last week we decided they were ready to pick. We have two varieties of apples, and the ones I used for this cake are green in color, although they are not as sour as the Granny Smith variety.

This cake was very moist, with a nice texture provided by the almond meal. I also used a little farro flour in with the ingredients which worked out well as it too has a subtle nutty flavor.  If you prefer a gluten free version, just replace the farro flour with your favorite gluten free flour.

If you are not interested in gluten free but simply find it difficult to find spelt or farro flour, use all-purpose flour.Once my cake was baked, I brushed it with apple syrup that I bought at our local health food store which really made the apple flavor pop. If you cannot find apple syrup, you could top this cake with a light glaze made with icing sugar and milk, or even simply dust it with powdered sugar.

This cake, although simple enough to enjoy sliced with your morning coffee for breakfast. Dressed up with a dollop of whipped cream and some sautéed apples, or sliced almonds, this cake can also be a great fall dessert choice too.

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Our Little Apple Tree!

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Apples From Our Tree

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Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Applesauce Almond Cake

Applesauce Almond Cake

Yield: Serves 10 - 12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
  • 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1 Cup Applesauce
  • 2 1/2 Cups Almond Flour (or Meal)
  • 3/4 Cup Farro Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/3 Cup Apple Syrup (See Notes Above)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F, and lightly grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
  2. Place the oil and sugar in a bowl, and beat on medium speed with an electric hand mixer until blended.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then finally add the applesauce.
  4. Add the almond flour, farro flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and beat until blended.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Cool 15 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and place on a cake plate.
  7. While still a little warm, brush the top and sides of the cake with the apple syrup, then allow to cool completely before slicing.

Did you make this recipe?

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4 Comments

  1. Nice recipe Deborah! Your trees are so cute! We have two in our backyard that were developed to be grown in pots…have had them for 20 years and I think we got 10 or more lbs. from them! They were really crisp and juicy this year…we have to prune them in the winter so not sure what we will end up with next year. I guess you are not there when they bloom?? Amazing fragrance! Looking forward to trying the cake!

  2. Good morning Deborah!
    I’ve been following your blog for years, and have made so many of your recipes. I love them all.
    I especially love your blog! I am Italian and have family in Italy. Reading your blog, makes me feel more connected to them, as does making the recipes you share.

    My question for you today is regarding the Applesauce Almond Cake. I really would like to make it, but I don’t have any idea where to get Faro Flour. I live in Central CA now, and my choices of stores are limited unless I drive for nearly an hour. Even then, I don’t think i can find the flour. Can I substitute regular flour?
    I do have some faro in my pantry. Can I throw that in my food processor and then mix it with regular flour?

    Looking forward to hearing back.

    Anna

    1. Farro flour (or spelt flour) can be found in any health food stores, in the organic sections of many grocery stores, or stores such as Whole Foods. Farro is pretty hard, so I do not think your food processor would grind it fine enough. You could substitute whole wheat pastry flour if needed.

  3. Turned out really nice! I made some modifications:
    I used 1/2 cup sugar and it turned out the perfect amount of sweet (depends on how sweet your applesauce already is)!
    Added 1 tsp of rosewater essence.
    Added 1-2tbsp of lemon juice + rind of an orange for a bit of zangy citrus touch.
    Everyone loved it. Thank you for the recipe!

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