Omena Kanelisokerikakku - Apple Cake with Cinnamon Sugar

This simple, nostalgic cake is something I grew up with. This is my version of my mums cake, who made it using any fresh fruit available, but usually it was apple or blackberry. It’s one of those cakes that is immediately comforting and very good with a cup of strong tea or coffee. I even like to have this for breakfast with a mug of hot chai. The sweet yet tart combination works beautifully.

Serves 10

what you need

1/2 cup of apple sauce (or 2 organic free range eggs if not vegan)

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup butter (I used Nuttelex Buttery but you can use any you prefer, even coconut oil)

3/4 cup butter milk (soy milk + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar)

1 cup plain gluten free flour

1 cup buckwheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tart apple, grated

1 teaspoon of mixed spice

for the topping

2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar (2 tablespoon castor sugar + 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon)

2-3 tart apples, peeled and sliced

---

what to do

Preheat oven to 180C.

Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the the apple sauce*, or eggs one at a time, beating well between each one. Add the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, mix the flours, salt, spices and baking powder together. Gently fold the flour and wet mixture together using a spatula, adding the buttermilk in the middle. Then add the grated apple and fold through.

Grease a circular cake tray with butter and line it with baking paper. Pour the cake batter into the tray and insert the apple slices into the top of the cake. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for about an hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Timing will depend on your oven.

This is best served still slightly warm with some vanilla bean ice cream.

---

tips

*If using apple sauce and it looks like the mixture is starting to separate when you add it to the butter and sugar, don’t fret. It will all combine together just fine when you add the flour.