Name: The Cooks Larder’s flourless apple, almond, raisin and ginger cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 85 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 2 Granny Smith apples; 1 royal gala or golden delicious apple; 30 gm unsalted butter; 50 gm raw caster sugar; 2 cloves; 75 gm (½ cup) raisins; 260 gm almond meal; 220 gm almonds; 2½ tsp ground ginger; 2 tsp baking powder; 4 eggs; 230 gm raw caster sugar; 145 ml organic maple syrup; To serve: yoghurt or vanilla ice-cream; Apple and almond topping; 2 royal gala or golden delicious apples, cored and thinly sliced; 50 gm almonds, coarsely chopped; 50 gm butter, melted; 25 gm each of demerara and maple sugar (see note)

The Cooks Larder’s flourless apple, almond, raisin and ginger cake

It's also gluten-free - bonus.

Serves 10

Prep

20M

Cook

1H 25M

Total

1H 45M

“I experienced the most delectable cake in years last week at The Cooks Larder in Avalon – gosh it was good. Their apple, almond and ginger cake transports one away from the ordinary. Would you please ask Dugal Mackie for this recipe?”

Lindy Kingsford, via email

Ingredients

2 Granny Smith apples

1 royal gala or golden delicious apple

30 gm unsalted butter

50 gm raw caster sugar

2 cloves

75 gm (½ cup) raisins

260 gm almond meal

220 gm almonds

2½ tsp ground ginger

2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

230 gm raw caster sugar

145 ml organic maple syrup

To serve: yoghurt or vanilla ice-cream

Apple and almond topping

2 royal gala or golden delicious apples, cored and thinly sliced

50 gm almonds, coarsely chopped

50 gm butter, melted

25 gm each of demerara and maple sugar (see note)

Method

1.Peel and core apples, then cut each into 8 wedges. Melt butter in a frying pan (large enough to fit apple in a single layer) over medium heat. Add apple, caster sugar and cloves and toss to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are well coated, soft and starting to colour (5-7 minutes). Remove cloves, add raisins and cook for another minute to soften raisins. Remove from heat and cool.

2.Preheat oven to 160C. Using a food processor, pulse almond meal, almonds, ginger and baking powder until coarsely chopped. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggs, raw caster sugar and maple syrup until pale and fluffy. Add nut mixture and cooled apple mixture and fold to combine. Pour into a greased and baking paper-lined 26cm-diameter springform pan.

3.For apple and almond topping, arrange apple slices over cake batter overlapping slightly. Scatter with almonds, drizzle with butter, then scatter with sugars. Bake until cooked through and a skewer withdraws clean (60-75 minutes). Cool completely in pan, serve at room temperature with yoghurt or vanilla ice-cream.

Maple sugar is what remains after the sap of the sugar maple is boiled for longer than is needed to produce maple syrup. It is available from The Cooks Larder. If unavailable, substitute with demerara sugar.
Notes