simple pleasures on the farm: bumper crop

we sure have a bumper crop of apples this year!

we are still picking our idareds, mutsus, johnagolds, red delicious, golden delicious, and empires.

all of these late harvest apples are excellent apples to store. in a fridge is ideal.

the idareds are exceptional…they will last ’til the spring.

i don’t know why, but on dreary rainy days, i love to bake. i have so many apple recipes to try…

this is my new favourite apple cake.

i think it is a combination of its italian heritage and my new love of cardamom that has me smitten.

after our farm tour of italy, i love everything italian.

this tuscan apple cake with olive oil is dreamy…not too sweet and deliciously appley.

it is a perfect little breakfast bite…or a late afternoon pick me up with a cup of tea.

the apples make it very moist. it keeps for a few days on the kitchen table, covered with a tea towel...

unless you have friends drop in.

the original recipe is from giulia scarpaleggis who’s instagram and blog i follow and love.

i did change it a little. i am sure you will love it too!

apple olive oil cake

ingredients

• 5 apples

i used idared apples. you could use cortland, mustu, golden delicious or jonagold.

• juice from 1 lemon

• 4 medium eggs

• 180 g - 3/4 cup - 6.3 oz of sugar + 2 tablespoons for the apples

• 120 ml -1/2 cup - 4 fl oz of extra virgin olive oil

• 240 g -1 3/4 cup - 8.4 oz cake flour

• 8 g - 1 3/4 teaspoon - of baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder

• 1 pinch of salt

• Butter to grease the cake mould

• 2 tablespoons of apricot jam

Instructions

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. - 356˚F.

2 Peel, core and slice three apples. Put aside the other two apples. You’ll need them later. Collect them in a bowl, drizzle them with the juice of a lemon and sprinkle them with two tablespoons of sugar. Give them a quick stir and put aside.

3 Whip eggs and sugar until light and foamy. Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil, then fold in the flour sifted with baking powder, cardamom and salt.

4 Now add the apples, also pouring in the lemon juice left in the bowl. Gently fold the apples into the batter.

5 Grease a 26 cm round cake mould with a knob of butter and dust it with flour. Scrape the batter into the cake mould and smooth the surface with a spatula.

6 Peel core and slice the two apples you put aside. Use these apple slices to decorate the surface of the cake, placing them in concentric circles, starting from the outside.

7 Bake the cake in a preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes, checking if the cake is done with a toothpick: when you insert it in the centre of the cake it should come out clean.

8 Once ready, remove the cake from the oven, allowing it a few minutes to cool down on a wire rack, then remove it from the cake mould and place it on a plate.

9 Dissolve the apricot jam in a saucepan with two tablespoons of water, warming it on low heat until it starts to boil. Brush the cake with the apricot glaze. Let it cool down completely before slicing it.