Recipe: Apple and olive oil cake with hazelnut crust

Recipe: Apple and olive oil cake with hazelnut crust

30m prep | 45m cook

Last updated

Rather than simply acting as a replacement for butter, the olive oil in this moist, airy cake imparts a fresh and vibrantly herbaceous aroma that complements the flavour of the apples perfectly. Although, with its nutty crust and hints of cinnamon, this is an unmistakably autumnal cake, it can be enjoyed year-round.

When baking, we prefer Stellar cookware for its superior, even heat transference, non-stick capabilities and longevity. Made from hard anodised, heavy gauge material, Stellar cake pans are resistant to abrasion and, unlike other non-stick bakeware, the surface will never peel, flake or rust. Importantly, they’re also PTFE and PFOA free, so we can enjoy our cakes knowing they’ve made it the plate without harmful chemical particles. Wash with warm, soapy water, without using abrasive sponges, and keep out of the dishwasher.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

  • 3 good baking apples (such as pink lady, granny smith or gala)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 3 eggs
  • 135g sugar, plus 1 tbsp
  • 90mL extra virgin olive oil
  • 180g plain flour
  • 6g baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
 FOR THE CRUST
  • 50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
  • 35g caster sugar
  • 40g butter (room temperature)

Preheat your oven to 180C (or 160C if using a fan forced oven).

Peel, quarter and core two of the apples, cutting them into pieces roughly the size of a 10 cent coin. Toss with lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar.

Using a stand mixer, combine the eggs and sugar at a high speed until light in colour and airy in texture.

Use a spatula to add the olive oil, then sift in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and stir until just combined. Add the apples (along with any residual lemon juice) and combine.

Grease a 20cm cake tin with butter and line with baking paper. Pour cake batter into the tin.

Peel, quarter and core the third apple and slice thinly. Arrange the slice on top of the cake batter.

Combine the butter, hazelnuts and sugar to in a bowl, then sprinkle the crumble over any exposed cake batter not covered with apples.

Bake cake for 45 minutes, Leave to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cake rack.

Optional: brush a little warmed maple syrup over the baked apples as soon as the cake is removed from the oven for a glossy, lustrous finish.

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