Almond apple cake with apple roses for Rosh Hashana

This almond apple cake has a fine, spongy almond crumb and the delicate sweetness of honey. Topped with apple roses, it makes for a show-stopping dessert!

Let this gluten-free and paleo apple cake with apple roses lures you to put on your jacket and scarf, pour yourself another cup of steaming apple cider, and embrace the sweet bitter notes of fall.

A perfect (Jewish New Year) Rosh Hashana dessert, Thanksgiving dessert, or just a regular fall baking project.

Fall Rituals: Apple Picking

As you make your way into an orchard, the smell of wet grass is the first thing you notice.

Small, vibrant green and covered in dew, the leaves of a multitude of apple trees sway in the wind, producing a sound not unlike that of a sighing grandmother.

“Stay with us for a bit,” they seem to whisper at you, offering yet another slice of apple almond cake.

You walk through the orderly lanes, looking this way and that, searching for the perfect red apple.

The touch of green is enough to send you, disappointed, onto the next tree, in constant look for the next perfect specimen.

When you finally find it, you wrap your palm gently around the body of the fruit, twisting delicately in a clockwork motion.

With a barely audible ‘pop’, the stem of the apple snaps, and the ripe fruit is left laying in your hand, offering you the world of promise and temptation that only freshly picked fruit can bring.

Apple picking in Quebec has become one of my family's most cherished tradition. See our apple picking story, in full, here.

For more apple recipes:

For more apple recipes I recommend this incredable french apple cake, apple pie with lattice top, or apple crisps - all gluten free!

Why you should make this apple and almond cake

Trust me when I say, you NEED to make this apple and almond cake! This apple roses cake is a favorite of ours for the following reasons:

• Healthy - this almond flour apple cake gets its sweetness from apples and maple syrup, without any refined sugars. It's also a flourless almond cake with apples, which cuts on the processed carbs.
• Beautiful - the apple roses topping on this cake is a stunner!
• Gluten free - this almond apple cake is gluten free, paleo and grain free. What more do you need?
• Easy
• Delicious
• Perfect for fall
• Makes for a great Rosh Hashana dessert option (or a Thanksgiving dessert!)

When to serve this almond and apple cake

This almond flour apple cake is a favorite of mine for special occasions. The apple roses do take a bit of work, but I promise you, it's so worth it for the wow factor it's going to elicit from your guests!

I like to serve this paleo apple cake on:

• Rosh Hashana - the Jewish New Year is big on apples, and they're the star of this gluten free almond and apple cake!
• Thanksgiving - a break from the pumpkin, this almond flour apple cake truly celebrates fall flavors.
• Anytime in the fall, alongside other fall recipes and flavors.

The abundance of apples in your farmers’ markets during fall simply calls for an almond and apple cake on your fall weekend table.

This sugar-free, gluten-free almond apple cake with apple roses is a simple, beautiful way to honour the fruit of the season, and to welcome in fall with a flourish.

Sweetened with just a touch of honey, this cake is guaranteed to not overwhelm your taste buds with artificial sweetness – but instead, to let the taste of apples and honey shine.

How to make apple roses?

This cake is topped with one of my personal favorite all-natural cake decorations: easy apple roses.

To make these easy apple roses, all you need to do is peel a bunch of apples into ribbons - or slice them into thin half-moons.

Then, you make a mix of water and lemon juice and leave it boiling on your stovetop. Then take your thinly sliced apples, dip them into the water, and let boil for an additional minute or two (no more!).

Congratulations - you now have bendy and pliable easy apple roses to put on top of this apple roses cakes.

What else can you do with apple roses?

• Put them in pastry
• Top a chocolate tart
• Put on top of honey apple cake with salted caramel sauce

Ingredients

For apple roses:

• Apples of your choice - you can use any apple, but I love using Gala, Red Delicious, or Cosmic Crisp apples for this apple almond cake
• Water - simple water from the tap
• Lemon juice - fresh or preserved, ain't no importance.

For apple almond cake:

• Coconut oil - this lends a faint topical aroma to this cake and I LOVE it.
• Almond flour - for a true almond flour apple cake, this makes the bulk of the cake
• Arrowroot flour - a binder that helps the almond flour stay together
• Salt - heightens the flavor of baked goods. Can be omitted if avoiding salt
• Eggs, room temperature - they build the bulk of this cake. You can try using an egg replacer like aquafaba, JUST Eggs or Bob's Red Milk Egg replacer.
• Liquid from cooking apple roses - this is left from cooking your apple roses. Alternatively, you can just use hot water.
• Honey - you can use maple syrup here instead. This helps sweetened the cake
• Vanilla extract - used to give flavor to the cake itself. You can skip it if you'd like!
• Lemon juice - you can use fresh lemon juice or preserved lemon juice
• Baking soda - gives the rise to this cake.
• Honey, diluted in warm water, or sugar-free jam diluted in warm water, for glazing - this will be used as a glaze to brush on top of the cake.

Instructions

Prepare apple roses

In a medium-sized saucepan, bring water and lemon juice to a boil.

Remove core and seeds from apples and slice apples in half, and then slice them very thinly into half-moons (you can use a mandoline for this if you are unsure of the thinness of your slices). Place apple slices into water, allow to boil again, and let boil for an additional minute or two, just until apple slices are pliable and can be bent without snapping. Do not overboil – this will result in mushy slices that break apart when you attempt to roll them.

Pour the liquid in which the apples cooked into a bowl, reserving it for later. Place apple slices in ice-cold water and set aside.

Make the paleo apple cake

Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Grease and line a round cake pan with a removable bottom with parchment.

Whisk dry ingredients

In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together flours and salt.

Beat egg yolks and egg whites separately

Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

Combine yolks in another bowl with melted coconut oil, vanilla, lemon juice, honey and ½ cup of liquid remaining from cooking the apples. Whisk to combine. Add egg yolk mixture to the large bowl with the flour, and whisk until batter is smooth without any lumps.

Using a mixer, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks.

Add baking soda and combine mixtures

Stir baking soda into the dough batter and, using a rubber spatula, immediately beat in one third of the whipped egg whites. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.

Pour batter into prepared 6-inch baking dish for a tall, single-layer cake, or a 9-inch baking dish for a shallower cake with a larger diameter.

Top almond apple cake with apple roses

Starting with a thin small slice of apple, roll it into the shape of a rose. Then add another slice around it, and another one. Use as many slices as you like to assemble each rose, starting from one for very small roses, to five or six for very large ones. Place each rose into the top of the cake, pressing it into the batter to secure. Continue until cake is completely covered in apple roses.

Bake cake at 325 F for 40 minutes

Bake at 325 F for 35-40 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes, then run a sharp knife along the edge, remove outside ring and transfer cake onto a cake stand.

Brush top with syrup

Brush top and sides of cake with the honey-water or jam-water mixture, to add more sweetness and to allow the roses to sparkle as though dewy. Let cool completely before serving.

Adaptations and Substitutions

This apple almond cake with apple roses is gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free and low carb. It also fits within the Whole 30 diet.

Vegan

The eggs in the cake are needed to give it body. I have not tried to substitute the eggs, but I believe it would work with JUST eggs or aquafaba.

Keto

Unfortunately, this recipe cannot be easily made keto (as apples aren't keto).

Looking for more Rosh Hashana Recipes and Inspiration?

Here are a few of my favourites:

• Gluten free honey cake
• The best vegetarian Rosh Hashanah recipes
• Rosh Hashana menu, and my thoughts for the Jewish New Year
• How to decorate an intimate holiday table for a memorable experience
• Any of the 11 recipes in my Middle Eastern Small Plates E-book
• Enchanted rice with grapes, feta and pistachios, or the taste of teenage love
• Vegan malabi with strawberry rose syrup and pomegranate arils
• Black eyed peas masabacha with tahini, tomatoes, garlic and hot peppers
• Roasted beet, apple and goat cheese salad with walnuts
• Wild rice pilaf with butternut squash and walnuts

Check out my web story if you want to follow the step-by-step almond apple cake story on how to assemble this cake.

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Recipe

Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.

Almond apple cake with apple roses

Ksenia Prints

With a fine, spongy almond crumb and the delicate sweetness of honey, this almond apple cake with apple roses lures you to put on your jacket and scarf, pour yourself another cup of steaming apple cider, and embrace the sweet bitter notes of fall. 

5 from 70 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course cake, Dessert

Cuisine Israeli, Jewish, low carb, Paleo

Servings 8

Calories 321 kcal

Equipment

• Standing mixer or hand mixer

Ingredients

  

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For apple roses:

• 4-6 apples of your choice halved and cored (Gala, Red Delicious or Cosmic Crisp would all work)
• 3 cups water
• 4 tsps lemon juice

For one 6 or 9-inch round cake:

• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• 1 ¾ cup almond flour
• ¼ cup arrowroot flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• ½ cup apple liquid (liquid remaining from boiling the apple roses)
• 2 tbsps honey
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• Honey diluted in warm water, or sugar-free jam diluted in warm water for glazing

Instructions

 

• To prepare apple roses: In a medium-sized saucepan, bring water and lemon juice to a boil.
• Remove core and seeds from apples and slice apples in half, and then slice them very thinly into half-moons (you can use a mandoline for this if you are unsure of the thinness of your slices). Place apple slices into water, allow to boil again, and let boil for an additional minute or two, just until apple slices are pliable and can be bent without snapping. Do not overboil – this will result in mushy slices that break apart when you attempt to roll them.
• Pour the liquid in which the apples cooked into a bowl, reserving it for later. Place apple slices in ice-cold water and set aside.
• To make cake: Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Grease and line a round cake pan with a removable bottom with parchment.
• In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together flours and salt.
• Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
• Combine yolks in another bowl with melted coconut oil, vanilla, lemon juice, honey and ½ cup of liquid remaining from cooking the apples. Whisk to combine. Add egg yolk mixture to the large bowl with the flour, and whisk until batter is smooth without any lumps.
• Using a mixer, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks.
• Stir baking soda into the dough batter and, using a rubber spatula, immediately beat in one third of the whipped egg whites. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.
• Pour batter into prepared 6-inch baking dish for a tall, single-layer cake, or a 9-inch baking dish for a shallower cake with a larger diameter.
• To assemble apple roses: Starting with a thin small slice of apple, roll it into the shape of a rose. Then add another slice around it, and another one. Use as many slices as you like to assemble each rose, starting from one for very small roses, to five or six for very large ones. Place each rose into the top of the cake, pressing it into the batter to secure. Continue until cake is completely covered in apple roses.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Remove cake from oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes, then run a sharp knife along the edge, remove outside ring and transfer cake onto a cake stand.
• Brush top and sides of cake with the honey-water or jam-water mixture, to add more sweetness and to allow the roses to sparkle as though dewy. Let cool completely before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 8gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 170mgPotassium: 128mgFiber: 5gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 138IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 1mg

Standing mixer or hand mixer

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