Apple harvest cake: A seasonal sweet that's infused with warming spices

This cake — which is packed with apples and warm spices, and topped with a buttery walnut crumble — is the ultimate cosy fall bake. The recipe calls for two chopped apples, which may seem like a lot, but trust me, they make this cake extra moist and delicious. 

The best part? It all comes together super easily. You can prepare the crumble ahead of time, and the cake itself is mixed up in just one bowl. And if you want to take things to the next level, I’ve also included an optional maple-tahini glaze for drizzling on top. Happy baking!

Apple Harvest Cake

I recommend using a 9-inch springform pan for this recipe, since it makes it easier to release the cake. But if you don’t have one, a regular cake pan will work just fine; simply invert the cake onto a plate, then flip it onto a second plate or board for serving. 

Ingredients

Crumble:

• ¼ cup (28 g) rolled oats
• ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (28 g) chopped walnuts
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼ cup (50 g) dark brown sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cake:

• ¾ cup (150 g) dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ½ cup (55 g) almond meal
• 1½ cup (180 g) all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces

Maple-tahini glaze (optional):

• 3 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt

Preparation

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 F. 

Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease with oil, cooking spray or butter.

To prepare the crumble, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with fingers until small clumps form. Set aside.

To make the cake batter, place the brown sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer on high speed, whip them together until light, frothy and light caramel in colour, about 45 seconds. Add the olive oil, Greek yogurt and vanilla, and mix until well-combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and using a rubber spatula, gently mix everything together until just combined (avoid over-mixing). Fold in the chopped apples.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the crumble on top, then place in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, prepare the optional glaze by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl. (If your tahini is too thick to pour, add a teaspoon of water to thin it out.)

Allow the cake to rest in the pan for 15 minutes before gently removing it from the springform. Let it cool completely. 

If using, drizzle the maple-tahini glaze on top of the cake just before serving.

Serves 8

Produced in collaboration with CBC Creator Network.