🍎 An Autumnal Almond and Apple Cake

A cozy bake that celebrates imperfection and seasonal simplicity.

There’s something about apple desserts that immediately say autumn, isn’t there? The scent of cinnamon in the kitchen, the sweetness of baked fruit, the comfort of something warm on a chilly afternoon.

That said I’ll admit something. I’m not really an apple pie person. The classic slice with custard never quite did it for me. Maybe it’s the memory of the apple sauce that always sat alongside roast pork growing up delicious, but not something I want in a dessert!

But almonds? I’ve always loved almonds. And over the years, I’ve also learned to love cinnamon  that deep, warming spice that feels like wrapping yourself in a blanket. So when I came home from our local farm shop with a massive bag of apples, I knew I had to bake something that felt seasonal and comforting, but with a twist.

That’s how this Apple & Almond Cake came to be  a little rustic, a bit improvised, not the prettiest thing I’ve ever made, but absolutely delicious. It smells like autumn and tastes even better.

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🍂 The Ingredients

For the cake:

• 4 large eggs

• 150g caster sugar

• 150g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

• 150g ground almonds (I toasted whole almonds and ground them myself — the flavour is incredible!)

• 2 tbsp plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• A pinch of nutmeg

• A pinch of salt

For the apples:

• 4 medium apples (any mix of varieties works — the more rustic the better)

• 2 tbsp sugar (brown or white)

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• A small grating of nutmeg

• A squeeze of lemon juice

• A splash of water or apple juice

To finish:

• Reserved apple syrup from stewing

• A handful of toasted flaked almonds

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🍏 Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin.

2. Stew the apples:
   Peel and slice the apples, then place them in a saucepan with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and a splash of water. Gently simmer until soft and fragrant — about 10–15 minutes. Drain the apples and save that gorgeous syrup!

3. Make the batter:
   Whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and frothy. Slowly add the melted butter and mix well.

4. Stir in the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until just combined — it should be a thick, spoonable batter.

5. Fold in the stewed apples (keep a few slices aside if you want to decorate the top).

6. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

7. While still warm, drizzle some of the reserved apple syrup over the cake and scatter with toasted almonds for a little crunch and shine.

 Serve & Enjoy

This isn’t a fancy, show-off kind of cake  it’s the sort of thing you bake on a Sunday, when the leaves are turning and you just want your kitchen to smell amazing.

It’s soft, fragrant, and full of cozy flavours. Serve it as it is, or with a dollop of mascarpone or icecream.

Anna x