In January you have a good idea how the year’s olive oil crop has been. This moist olive oil and apple cake (cooked in a gastra – an enamel pot with a lid) is one of the best ways to showcase this golden liquid of ours. I have used εvo3, a very low acidity olive oil from Lesvos. The smooth and fruity flavour of the oil was perfect for the apples but I also like the company’s contribution to reforestation projects. Check out their story and olive oils on https://www.premiumoliveoil.co.uk/
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 5 apples
- ½ lemon (juice)
- 350g plain flour
- 250g caster sugar
- 250ml olive oil
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 100g sultanas
- Icing sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4
In a small bowl, dust the sultanas with a tbsp of the flour.
Peel and core the apples. Chop in small dice and drop in a bowl with cold water and the juice of half a lemon so they don’t oxidize.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar till pale and fluffy. Add the olive oil, the flour mixed with the baking powder, cinnamon and sultanas. Mix well with a spatula to incorporate.
Drain the apples and add to the cake mix.
Using a spatula, empty the cake mix into the gastra and bake for one hour. Test by inserting a skewer to the centre of the cake and bake more if the skewer does not come out clean. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
This cake keeps very well in an airtight container for a few days.