Apple Walnut Cake
An easy flavorful cake with fresh apples that is super moist and very easy to make (no peeling them!). It has crunchy walnuts and a simple glaze that complements it perfectly. It keeps well, can be frozen, and made in different types of cake pans. A great bake when apple season starts.
Servings 10 slices
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour superfine
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil such as sunflower, canola or olive oil (a fruity or light one, preferably)
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ¾ teaspoon vanilla paste
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 apples coarsely chopped or processed, with skin (I use Granny Smith)
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Butter or spray a 3x8-inch (20x7cm) loaf cake pan. Add a strip of parchment paper that covers the bottom and up the two narrow sides. The long sides will be left unlined. The paper will help you remove the cake more easily after it's baked.
- Wash and dry 2 apples (skin and all) and process them until chopped but not pureed. You can also very finely chop them by hand, or grate them with a large-holed grater. They will begin to release liquid, which is fine; we want that.
- Stir the dry ingredients in a large bowl: 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon baking soda (sift it to avoid clumps) and ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Add the wet ingredients in the middle: ½ cup vegetable oil , 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , and ½ teaspoon orange zest. Mix well by hand or with an electric mixer.
- Fold in the apples, chopped ½ cup walnuts, and mix. The batter will become wetter and easier to stir.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out dry. Sometimes it takes more. If it's browning too quickly cover the top loosely with a piece of aluminum paper while it keeps baking.
- Let cool for about 20 minutes. Run a smooth blade knife around the edges to loosen first and unmold carefully. Let cool completely on a wire rack and glaze.
- Keep well wrapped for no more than 1 day at room temperature and in the fridge a few more days. It can be frozen, well wrapped in film and aluminum foil, before glazing.
For the glaze:
- Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice until you have a creamy mixture. If it’s too dry add more orange juice, a teaspoon at a time, and stir until incorporated. You can make it as thick or thin as you want to, adding more or less liquid (juice).
- Glaze the top of the cake (which should be completely cooled down) by drizzling the glaze and letting it drip down the sides.
Notes
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Flour: use only all-purpose flour instead of part whole wheat. The cake will be just as wonderful but has less texture and earthy flavor.
Spices: this recipe uses cinnamon, but you can use apple spice mix or add more spices, like a dash of ground nutmeg, mace, or allspice.
Storing: you can keep it maybe for 1 day at room temperature, but then wrap and refrigerate it (or freeze it if not eating it immediately). The apples ferment quicker than you think, and the cake will go to waste. Have you ever tried a fermented cake? You know what I mean then. It happened to me with a carrot cake once. Lesson learned.
