Apple & Olive Oil Cake - Torta di Mele e Olio d'Oliva
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A simply sublime apple cake adapted from Yotam Ottoleghi. The perfect parve Rosh Hashana desert.
Author:
Serves: 8 generous servings
Ingredients
  • Heaping ¾ cup of golden raisins soaked in Grappa for at least 2 full days
  • 2¼ cup of all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • 1¼ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ cup of good quality Italian extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾ superfine sugar (run granulated sugar through the food processor for a few minutes)
  • ½ plump vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped
  • 2 organic large eggs, separated
  • 3 large Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and diced into ⅜ inch pieces (I used 4 small apples)
  • Grated zest of 1 large lemon
  • Confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325º. Grease a 9” springform pan and line the bottom & sides with parchment.
  2. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda - set aside.
  3. Put the extra virgin olive oil, superfine sugar, lemon peel and vanilla seeds in the work bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until combined, scrap down the work bowl and continue to beat on medium-high until the mixture becomes thick - about 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Add the egg yolks, one at a time scraping down after each yolk is added. Beat for an additional 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and quite thick.
  5. Remove the work bowl from the mixer and using a spatula, fold the diced apples and raisins into the yolk mixture, turning it well from the bottom of the bowl. Add the sifted dry ingredients and continue to fold in by hand, this will take some time and patience as the batter is not as wet as one would expect.
  6. Whisk the egg whites using a clean bowl and whisk (or the standing mixer with the whisk attachment) until soft peaks are formed.
  7. Add ½ of the eggs whites to the rather dense apple batter to loosen it to a degree. Add the remaining whipped egg white, continuing to fold gently but evenly.
  8. Turn the batter into the prepared cake pan carefully scraping every bit from the bowl. Using the back of a large table spoon, smooth out the batter and place the pan into the oven.
  9. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool. After 20 minutes, unhinge the sides of the springform pan. After 45 minutes remove the bottom of the springform pan an allow the cake to cool completely.
  10. Once cooled, generously sift confectioner’s sugar over the cake and perhaps garnish with some lemon peel.
Recipe by LaBellaSorella at http://labellasorella.com/2017/09/olive-oil-and-apple-cake/