GUILT-FREE GLUTEN-FREE APPLE CAKE

SERVES 12. PREP 35 MINS. COOK 55 MINS INGREDIENTS

• 2 Granny Smith apples

• ½ lemon

• 60g (⅓ cup) coconut sugar

• 3 eggs

• 80ml (⅓ cup) honey, plus 2 tsp, extra

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 125ml (½ cup) light extra virgin olive oil

• 155g (1½ cups) almond meal

• 140g (1 cup) buckwheat flour

• 2½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

• Gluten-free icing sugar, to dust (optional)

• Coconut yoghurt, to serve (optional)

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease the base and side of a 22cm springform cake pan then line the base and side with baking paper.

2 Coarsely grate 1 apple. Peel remaining apple. Cut into quarters, remove core and slice into very thin wedges. Squeeze lemon over apple slices to prevent them browning.

3 Use a stand mixer with whisk attachment to whisk the coconut sugar, eggs, honey and vanilla for 5 minutes or until thick and doubled in size. Beat in the oil in a slow steady stream until well combined.

4 Add the grated apple, almond meal, flour, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir to combine. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared pan. Arrange the apple slices around the edge, overlapping the slices slightly. Drizzle over the extra honey.

5 Bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Lightly dust with icing sugar and dollop with coconut yoghurt just before serving, if using.