I should actually say hazelnut cinnamon and apple cake WITH gooey apple caramel bits underneath. True. I had to take dessert to a friend’s for dinner last night. So I did a bit of a mix between an apple and a pear pudding recipe on the blog with the ingredients that I had, and it turns out – this new recipe rocks. A little moment of genius was when I had sautéd the apples instead of transferring from the pan to the cake tin, I decided to just leave them in the frying pan and pour the cake batter over the top, baking the whole thing in the frying pan in the oven. Pudding with less washing up? Yes please!
When there wasn’t any left, this was our family friend’s youngest on the kitchen floor having an “I’m not coping with this news” moment. Honest to god.
I don’t think much more needs to be said, so here’s the recipe. Sorry about the photos – this was too good not to share for the long weekend so time was of the essence rather than ensuring posh pics!
Allergy notes
Need it to be nut free? Use buckwheat or rice flour instead of the almond meal.
Need it to be dairy free? Use coconut oil instead.
VARIATIONS
- You can do this with pear slices, berries, banana… Whatever fruit you need to / want to use up and enjoy!
- You can replace the hazelnut meal for almond meal for a more economical version
- You can replace the tapioca with organic corn flour or arrowroot flour for the same texture as this OR, with rice or buckwheat flours for more of a pudding vibe.
So there you have it. Happy long weekend and enjoy making this recipe if you have a go! Something tells me by the little guy’s actions, you’ll enjoy eating it even more! Tag #lowtoxlife @lowtoxlife if you’re on instagram and you make it!
Real Treats. Happy Bodies
Hazelnut Cinnamon and Apple Cake Recipe
Ingredients
The Syrup
- 100 g butter (coconut oil for dairy free, or ghee for low allergy cassein / lactose free)
- 1/3 cup rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (120g)
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 pcs apples, sliced about 4mm thick into slices
- 1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon* (keep ground cinnamon away from children until it’s mixed in, as the ‘dust’ from it can cause them to cough.)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
The Cake
- 80 g butter, melted
- 1/3 cup rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (160g)
- 2 pcs organic, pasture raised eggs
- 1 cup hazelnut (or almond) meal
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk, almond milk or coconut milk (110g)
- 1 heaped tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon*
- 1 pc fine chopped apple
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F
- Get a standard sized cake tin lined and ready
- In a large frying pan, put all syrup ingredients except the apple slices, into a medium heat pan
- Add apple slices once the sauce is simmering and cook a further 3-4 minutes on low-medium heat
- Then, pour this syrup out into the base of the cake tin and spread the apples out. OR do as I did and just leave it in the pan for the cake mix to go on top afterwards.
For the cake
- Whisk the eggs first with a hand beater along with the sweet stuff you’re using, until lightened in colour.
- Then, put all the other ingredients into the mixing bowl and using a hand mixer (or for thermomix just do it all in one go in there on speed 6, 5 seconds. Pause, reverse speed 6 for 4 seconds) mix all ingredients until combined.
- Spoon the batter over the syrup / apple base.
- Bake for 40 minutes, your oven depending. Do a skewer test at 30 minutes if you have a fan forced oven as you might be done! Skewer is clean? Pull them out. Not clean and has batter on it? Pop back in for a few more minutes.
- Pull out of the oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Tip upside down onto a plate and flip in one swift go or just spoon out onto plates.
- Either serve warm or cool with any syrup leftover, poured on top to serve.
- Top with a dollop of crème fraiche, coconut yoghurt, cashew cream, sour cream, home made ice cream or coconut cream. Knock yourself out!







Comments 18
This sounds delicious! I’m going to make this tomorrow 🙂
Author
Great Megan – Hope you enjoy it! x
That would be the hazelnut meal, if you choose to use it 🙂
Author
Thanks Mary – Megan had caught a typo in my post that actually had only almond meal – Hope you enjoy x
This is absolutely amazing!!! I made it with almond meal and it is delicious. This will be my new go-to dessert recipe when having fussy “it’s not healthy is it?” guests over for dinner. Thank you!!!
Author
So glad you loved it Danielle – doesn’t sound like it will be your last x
Alex how does this cake go when made a day early?
Author
Brooke – it goes super well. I’ve reheated it two days out too! x
I made this the minute I saw it! It took me about 15 mins to throw together from seeing it on the blog to in the oven. It was gone super-quick once out of the oven. Oh so yummy. A fantastic recipe, thanks so much.
Author
So glad you found it easy and loved it xx
Hi Alexx, this looks delicious! If I just used almond meal, how much should I use? as I know it is heavier. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Author
I’d use the same amount for this one x
Thanks so much. It’s in the oven now!
What can I use instead of coconut flour Alex?
Yum! Made this today and it is so delicious – used Nutiva in place of butter and coconut milk to make it a paleo treat. I grated instead of finely dicing the apple in the batter. It was enjoyed by my non-paleo friends too. Thx for sharing the recipe – it’s a keeper 🙂
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How is it if using an egg substitute? Like chia or psyllium husk ?
Hi Alex, I’ve just made this cake on a long weekend in Melbourne and it smells amazing! Just wondering though if the syrup is definitely supposed to contain water? Mine took 1.5 hours to cook (the cake batter stayed runny) and the syrup bubbled up and overflowed. I do want to make this again, thanks for sharing the recipe.