Apple and Almond Cake
This Apple and Almond Cake is one of those bakes we find ourselves coming back to again and again, especially when the weather turns and you want something that feels a bit special but doesn't take all day. The combination of sweet apple, nutty ground almonds and that subtle hit of almond essence makes every slice taste like proper effort went into it. The vegan buttermilk trick gives it this incredible tender, moist crumb that honestly blows people away when they find out it's completely plant-based. It's the kind of cake you make for a Sunday afternoon and somehow it's half gone before it even cools down. Go on, get it in the oven tonight.
Before You Start
- Almond milk and apple cider vinegar mixed & left to thicken for 30 minutes
- 20cm round cake tin greased & lined with baking paper
- Preheat oven to 180°C
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Potato masher
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 190g self raising flour
- 60g ground almonds
- 3 ripe bananas
- 2 red apples
- 1 tsp almond essence
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 120g icing sugar
- 100g flaked almonds
- 200g soft brown sugar
Method
Make the buttermilk
- Place the almond milk and apple cider vinegar into a small bowl and mix well
- Leave to one side for 30 minutes in order to thicken
Make the batter
- Peel and mash the bananas in a large bowl
- Once mashed, add the buttermilk, coconut oil, flour, ground almonds, sugar, baking powder and almond essence
- Mix well until all of the mixture comes together to create a smooth, creamy batter
Add the apples and bake
- Peel the apples and cut them into small pieces before mixing them through the batter
- Pour the batter into a lined cake tin and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until risen and golden and cooked through
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool a little
Top the cake
- In a small bowl, mix together the icing sugar and almond milk until smooth
- Drizzle over the top of the cake and leave to set before topping with flaked almonds
Tips & Variations
- Make the buttermilk first: We know 30 minutes feels like a long time to wait, but don't skip this step. It genuinely transforms the texture of the batter, so get it going before you do anything else.
- Banana ripeness matters: The riper your bananas the better here. Those black-spotted ones you've been avoiding are perfect. They mash easier and bring a natural sweetness that means you don't need to lean as heavily on the sugar.
- Check it early: Ovens vary a lot, so from around 40 minutes start keeping an eye on it. You want a skewer to come out clean but you don't want to overbake it or you'll lose that gorgeous moist middle.
Why This Works
The trick here is the homemade almond milk buttermilk. Leaving the almond milk and apple cider vinegar to sit together for 30 minutes lets it thicken and turn slightly tangy, which reacts with the baking powder to give the cake a beautiful lift and a really soft texture. The ground almonds also do a lot of heavy lifting, keeping everything moist and giving it that rich, nutty depth that makes this cake taste far more indulgent than it has any right to be.