Spiced Apple-Walnut Cake
This cake is EVERYTHING! If I could only eat one cake for the rest of my life, it would be this one. It’s packed with apples, and the sugar and butter caramelize into the most incredible crust on top.
Ingredients
Butter for the pan
Rice flour for the pan
1 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup white rice flour (140g)
1 cup almond flour (120g)
1 cup oat flour (120g)
½ cup tapioca flour or cornstarch (60g)
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp sea salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 lb apples cored, peeled, and cut into chunks.
¾ cup (90g) coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
Tartine All Day
This recipe comes from author, Elisabeth Prueitt. I have so much respect for this incredible baker and her gluten-free recipes.
The extra details: The tulips were a surprising find from Trader Joes. I didn’t know tulips were available in the fall. Of course Trader Joes would find a way to provide orange tulips this time of year! The apples are picked fresh from Crosscut Farm in Julian. They are Liberty apples. These apples are the ideal sweet – tangy baking apple.
Directions
*Tip: Use a hand-crank apple peeler. Then slice the peeled apples into fourths.
*Tip: Give a light chop to the walnuts and then place in a skillet on medium heat. Hand-toss the walnuts a few times until lightly toasted. This takes a few minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Butter the sides of the pan and dust with rice flour. Shake off excess. Line the bottom of a 10 inch spring-form pan with parchment paper cut into the shape of a circle.
*Tip: Place cold butter cut into large chunks into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds to create softened butter.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add one egg and continue beating. Do the same for the remaining eggs, beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides.
In a separate bowl, combine the flours and spices. Whisk. Add the flour mixture a cup or so at a time to the sugar – butter – egg bowl and stir until combined.
Stir in the apples and toasted walnuts. The batter is thick, so take your time folding in the apples and walnuts until well coated and incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes, until the top of the cake is dark golden brown and it springs back when you press on it lightly.
Set the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before unmolding.
The cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. (I have also had success with freezing wedges of cake.)
This cake easily makes 10 hearty slices.
