My Mum wasn’t much of baker, she’d rather be out identifying native plant names in Latin, but as a newly married woman in early 1960’s Aotearoa she had to make a fast adaption from scientist to housewife! And her super simple apple cake became her never fail to impress, go to recipe. 

Because I LOVE baking, I have adapted her recipe with extra virgin olive oil replacing the butter. And not any old EVOO! number29 with its apple tasting notes, is juicy and herbaceous and turns this cake into a sublime taste experience. The EVOO creates an almost crunchy outer crust with a very moist soft crumb.  

Served with lashings of thick Greek yoghurt and an extra drizzle of orange syrup the Greeks I served this to all agreed it was the best apple cake ever. And it just so happens, like everything else good in this world, apple cake originated in Greece, along with democracy, philosophy and the written word! I’d like to think apple cake came first. 

So! Happy Mother’s Day to all our wonderful Mothers, both living and departed. We couldn’t have done life without you. 

ORANGE SYRUP 

2 c sugar
2 c water
Peel from three large oranges, sliced finely. 

CAKE

1 c orange syrup
½ c white sugar 
4 eggs
2 t vanilla essence
Zest of one orange. 
¾ c number29 extra virgin olive oil 
2 c white flour 
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
½ t salt

FILLING

3 medium green apples, peeled and chopped into chunks. 
1 T cinnamon
½ t cloves
½ c brown sugar
½ c chopped walnuts
½ c sultanas

TOPPING

2 T brown sugar
2 t cinnamon 

TO SERVE 

Yogurt and orange syrup

First up make the orange syrup by boiling all 3 ingredients together. Leave to cool then strain. Reserving orange peel for garnish. 

Method

To make the cake, whisk together 1c of the cooled sugar syrup, eggs, sugar, vanilla essence and orange zest then once well combined whisk in the olive oil. 

Add dry ingredients and lightly mix till just combined. You don’t want to over beat the cake. 

Mix the apple filling ingredients together and heat oven to 160°C.

Grease the bottom and sides of your Ironclad Legacy Pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil then pour in a third of the cake batter. Distribute half the apple mix on top of the batter, then repeat with another third of the batter, then another layer of apples and finish with the remaining batter. 

Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. This is optional but makes for a lovely crunchy crust! 

Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean. 

Serve with thick Greek yoghurt and orange syrup.