Almond apple cake with apple roses

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45 degree view of apple almond cake with extract and apples

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.

Course cake, Dessert

Cuisine Israeli, Jewish, low carb, Paleo

Keyword almond flour, almonds, Apple roses, apples, Cosmic Crisp apples, dairy-free, Gala apples, gluten-free, grain-free, Jewish, low carb, paleo, Red Delicious, rosh hashana, Rosh Hashanah

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 40

Servings

Calories 321kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Equipment

Standing mixer or hand mixer

Ingredients

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