Fall time is apple time and since many weeks I was planning to create a recipe for some delicious apple cake. I’m sure, I mentioned it before, but I simply can’t get enough of apples. They can be used in so many different ways and recipes and are very healthy as well. Containing lots of vitamins and fibre, they ripen in late summer and fall and even grow just in front of my door step.
One of the tastiest way using apples has to be in a scrumptious and cinnamon scented apple cake. Every time in the last days when I was passing by my well-stocked apple basket with all those crunchy, green, red and sweet smelling apples, they seemed to whisper to me. Finally, the past weekend I listened, and went into my kitchen to bake this heavenly and irresistible apple cake with a touch of cinnamon and crunchy almonds that melts in your mouth. All vegan, gluten and refined sugar free.
Brown rice flour, flax seeds and almonds add lots of fibre and protein to the cake. Velvety golden-brown cinnamon adds a wonderful taste, stimulate the metabolism and warm from the inside. Not only is it an incredible spice in the fall and winter time, but can be a great addition to the diet all year around. It’s supposed to have many health benefits like lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, as well as aid digestion. It is advisable though to purchase only high quality cinnamon, as there are two different varieties. Ceylon cinnamon and cassia cinnamon. The more cheaper, but therefore commonly used cassia cinnamon, contains a much higher concentration of coumarin, which, if consumed in higher amounts can be toxic to liver and kidneys. Hence it is better to always opt for ceylon cinnamon which contains much lower amounts of coumarin.
Cinnamon-apple cake with crunchy almonds
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds + 6 tbsp of warm water
- 4-5 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 150 grams +2 tsp coconut blossom sugar
- 1 tsp ground vanilla
- Juice and grated peel of 1 organic lemon
- 125 grams coconut yoghurt
- 100 grams ground almonds
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 150 grams brown rice flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 50 g corn starch
- 125 ml almond milk
- 3 large sour apples (500-600 grams)
- 3 tbsp almond slivers
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 190°C/370°F and grease a springform pan (24 cm-diameter or 9 1/2 inch) with coconut oil.
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Mix flax seeds with the warm water and keep aside to thicken.
In a mixing bowl mix coconut blossom sugar with melted coconut oil, vanilla and 2 tsp cinnamon. Add the flax seed mixture, lemon peel, coconut yoghurt, almond milk and ground almonds and mix.
Mix brown rice flour with corn starch and baking powder. Sift over the batter and mix. Spoon into the prepared springform pan.
Peel and core apples and cut them in quarters. Slice the tops without cutting all the way through. Mix together with lemon juice, remaining cinnamon and coconut blossom sugar. Place onto the batter, sprinkle with the almond slivers and keep in the oven.
Bake for 50-60 minutes on medium rack. Insert a toothpick to check if the cake is done. If it comes out clean the cake is ready. Let cool on a wire rack.