We’re right on the cusp of shifting from winter to new season summer produce. Every year, I find it’s about now that the once crisp, bursting with flavour apples I’ve been buying are just not doing it for me. Some just don’t have the flavour, others are floury and a bit gross. But I never throw them, I just re-invent them like I’ve done here with this Apple Crumble Cake.
Truth is, once cooked and combined with other flavours they are quite delicious. If they are particularly floury, I’ll often mix them with a stronger flavoured fruit like rhubarb or berries of some kind and they are transformed. So like all my recipes, this is a great base for experimenting with fruits and flavours.
For more apple recipes, take a look at this Apple Pie recipe or pears, check out this Pear, Yoghurt, Ginger Cake.
Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements.
Apple Crumble Cake
Ingredients
Crumble
- 70 g butter - diced and room temp
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar or rapadura
- 115 g wholemeal spelt flour (1 cup)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 20 g flaked almonds (¼ cup)
Cake
- 70 g butter - melted
- 165 g full-fat natural yoghurt
- 115 g rice malt syrup or honey (⅓ cup)
- 1 free-range or organic egg/s
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 200 g wholemeal spelt flour (approx. 1¾ cups)
- 3 apple/s (Granny Smiths if you are buying especially) peeled and 1cm dice
Method
- Preheat your oven to 170°C/340°F (fan forced). Line a slice tin with baking paper.
Start with the crumble.
- In a food processor or by hand mix the butter, sweetener, spelt and cinnamon until a heavy crumb forms.
- Then fold in the flaked almonds and set aside.
Now make the cake.
- In a food processor or by hand mix the butter with the yoghurt, sweetener and egg until creamy and well combined.
- Add the cinnamon, baking powder, bicarb and sea salt. Mix together.
- Fold in the flour until just combined.
- Place the cake batter into the tin. Spread the apple over it and top with the crumble. Press down a little.
- Cook for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into he middle comes out clean.
Thermomix
- Mix the crumble 1 minute, speed 5. Then fold in the flaked almonds, 5 seconds, reverse speed 4. Set aside.
- Without washing the bowl, melt the butter, 1 min, temp 90, speed 3.
- Add the yoghurt, sweetener and egg and mix 30 seocnds, speed 4 until creamy and well combined.
- Add the cinnamon, baking powder, bicarb and sea salt. Mix 5 seconds, speed 3.
- Fold in the flour until just combined. Use the flour symbol for 3-4 turns.
- Place the cake batter into the tin. Spread the apple over it and top with the crumble. Press down a little.
- Cook for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Serve
- Warm with cream, creme fraiche or yoghurt.
Store
- Chill fully in the fridge (this will help you to get nice crumb free slices), slice and snap freeze on a tray before storing in an airtight container.
Variations
Gluten-free
Sub with a good quality gluten-free flour. Or approx. 2/3 almond meal with 1/3 buckwheat flour.Dairy-free
Substitute the butter with macadamia nut oil and the yoghurt with coconut yoghurt.Egg-free
Substitute the egg with a chia egg.Nut-free
Omit the flaked almonds, it will still be lovely. Or swap for sunflower seeds.Vegan
Chose the dairy-free and egg-free versions and rice malt as your sweetener.Fructose friendly
Choose rice malt as your sweetener (in the crumble and cake). Top with a low-fructose berries instead of apple.Add a twist
Add berries or rhubarb to the apple or swap apples for pears.I really can't wait to hear how you love this cake. Post a comment below and feel free to rate the recipe too. It helps it to reach and be enjoyed by others.
Charlie says
This sounds amazing!!!! Would I be able to sub the spelt with almond meal? Same quantities?
Georgia Harding says
Charlie you can see my suggestions in the gluten-free variation (below the main recipe). You could use straight almond meal but I find the buckwheat combo holds up better G x
Shannyn Vella says
I don’t have any flaked almonds what could I use instead G x
Shannyn Vella says
Sorry got ahead of myself, I used the sunflowers seeds as suggested. In the oven now it looks amazingggg. Every single one of your recipes I’ve tried has been 10/10 I am obsessed with them all. Please please bring out another book x
Georgia Harding says
Ha ha Shannyn. Thrilled you are loving them. A book is certainly on the cards. I’m just finishing developing an app and membership, then I’ll be onto it full-time! G x
Rosemary says
This is absolutely delicious! I love the apples in chunks, saves so much time and stuffing around with stewing them, simply delicious, my 2 year old daughter had 3 serves tonight!!
Georgia Harding says
Oh yay Rosemary- yes I try to create recipes with as many shortcuts as possible. So avoiding stewing is always my aim if possible. So glad you both loved it, Georgia x
Meegan Gunther says
This is fabulous! I’ve made it twice now, once with apples and the second time I used pears and goji berries. Both were delicious 😋 Thank you for another fantastic recipe
Georgia Harding says
You’re so welcome Meegan, so glad you enjoyed it G x
Linda Robinson says
My 3 boys all said this is one of my best cakes yet 🙂 So light, fluffy and moist. And as with all of your recipes so easy to make with ingredients I usually always have available. thank you xx
Georgia Harding says
So glad they loved it Linda G x
Lisa Burton says
This is so delicious! It’s best eaten fresh and a little warm, but I froze lunchbox sized portions and it is still great defrosted and a little chilled.
Thanks for another awesome recipe Georgia!
Georgia Harding says
You’re very welcome Lisa, so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the 5🌟s too G x
Clare says
Yum! Did one and half times the recipe for dessert for a slightly larger crowd – that worked really well. I added a punnet of blueberries to the apples, plus extra flaked almonds for more crunch. Thanks for another great recipe Georgia!
Georgia Harding says
Fabulous, so glad you loved it Clare and thanks for rating it G x
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Nicki Smith says
This was so easy! And it was hard not to eat it before it was actually cooked…lol can’t wait to have it tonight, if it lasts that long😉
Georgia Harding says
Ha ha – so glad you loved it Nikki G x
Helen Scargill says
Excellent, subbed the flaked almonds for oats it turned out delicious. Served with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Georgia Harding says
Love this sub, thanks for sharing Helen and cheers for the 5🌟 rating too G x
Tereza says
I dont have any natural yogurt at home and i need to use my green apples soon. Do u think I can use vanilla yogurt instead of natural one?
thank u.
Georgia Harding says
Yes definitely fine Tereza, enjoy G x
Jessica Brown says
I thought I had spelt flour but I don’t – can I use buckwheat flour 1 for 1? or a regular plain flour?
Georgia Harding says
Plain flour I’d choose. Buckwheat will be too strong and is best combined I find here with almond meal. G x
Jessica Denholm says
So delicious! Even my haphazard baking style couldn’t go wrong. Lots of thumbs up from the family. I loved how creamy the wet mix was. We used natural coconut yoghurt.
Georgia Harding says
So glad you and the family enjoyed it Jessica, cheers for the 5🌟s too G x
Melinda Chambers says
Really yummy, everybody loved this. I was a bit lazy and didn’t make the crumble properly (I just sprinkled some oats, coconut sugar and coconut oil on top) and it still turned out great.
Georgia Harding says
So glad you loved it Melinda 🙏🏼 G x
Elise says
Thank you for sharing your amazing work G! It has helped me to be a better woman, mum and wife (after not always having great health). I’ve travelled a journey of food as medicine over the last 8 years. Now in my mid thirties I am the healthiest and happiest I’ve ever been!
I say ditto, bring out another book!
XX
Georgia Harding says
Ah you’ve made my day Elise, thanks for your beautiful comment, I really appreciate it and I’m just thrilled you’ve found what it feels like to lead a happy, healthy life. G xx