Tweaked Apple, Almond & Ginger Cake

Often I find a recipe that just needs a little tweaking to make it fit with my desired nutritional template (ie predominately paleo and most certainly keen to ditch refined sugars). This one was super easy. From the beautiful Gourmet Traveller publication (seriously this mag is mouth-watering with its recipes and travel articles. makes me just to spend my holidays eating around the world). it was already almond flour based, so it was just a matter of subbing out the refined sugar. I used coconut sugar and threw it in the blender to grind it down fine. I used my mother’s Vitamix, and I know my Thermomix works perfectly as well, haven’t tried it in a normal blender, but I know a coffee grinder would work too, as well as those mini food processors that have the chop and grind option (my mother in law got us one for a Christmas, it’s awesome!)

NOTE: I actually used less coconut sugar on the topping, and also less maple syrup in the cake (only cause I didn’t have enough syrup) and it was sweet enough. So I advise tasting the batter to suit your sweetness levels.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Peel and Core apples, then cut each into 8 wedges. Melt butter in frying pan (large enough to fit apple in a single layer) over medium heat. Add apple, sugar and cloves and toss to combine Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft and starting to colour (5-7 minutes). Remove cloves, add raisins and cook for another minute to soften raisins. Remove from heat and let cool

2. Using a food processor, pulse almond meal, almonds, ginger and baking powder until coarsely chopped. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggs, sugar and maple syrup until pale and fluffy (remember when using coconut sugar it was turn from a dark brown mix to a paler brown). Add nut mixture and cooled apple mixture and fold to combine. Pour into a greased and baking paper-lined 26cm-diameter spring-form 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 coconut yoghurt or paleo vanilla ice-cream

This kept extremely well in both the fridge and left out. My extended family thoroughly enjoyed this and grudgingly admitted this paleolithic (my dads comments) was a winner. I hope you enjoy it too!