Method

You will need a 20cm cake tin.

Preheat oven to 180°c/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Using three of the apples, peel, core and chop into bitesize pieces.

Put the chopped apples into a small saucepan together with 150ml of water and 1tsp of cinnamon.

Bring the pan up to the boil and cook the apples, stirring frequently. It should take approx. 7 mins on a rolling boil for the water to evaporate and the apples to become soft and tender. Remove from the heat. Put the apples into a blender and puree, or mash using a potato masher/fork. You will need 150g of apple puree for this recipe.

In a small bowl add the sparkling water (8tbs) and ground chia seeds (3tbs), mix well, set aside.

Add the apple cider vinegar (2tbs) to the yogurt (150g), stir well.

In a large bowl add all the wet ingredients, 150g of apple puree, olive oil (100ml), yogurt, vanilla extract(2tsp) and the chia seed mixture. Mix well, then add the coconut sugar (200g), mix well.

Add a good pinch of  sea salt, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1tsp cardamon, 0.5tsp nutmeg and 0.5tsp ginger. Mix well. Finally incorporate the buckwheat flour (150g), rice flour (50g) , tapioca flour (1tbs) and baking powder (2tsp). Pour the batter into a lined cake tin.

Peel and core the remaining apple, cut thin slices and place around the top of the cake, push the apple slices down a little into the batter.

Bake in the oven, lower middle shelf for approx. 60 minutes. The cake should feel firm to the touch and use a skewer to check, insert it into the centre of the cake, it should come out clean, a few crumbs are okay. Set the cake aside for 10-15 minutes.

In a small saucepan add 30g of coconut sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 4tbs of boiling water, stir to dissolve the sugar. Slowly heat, bringing up to the boil, taking care not to burn the sugar, boil for approx 1 minute to allow some  the water to evaporate. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.

Remove the cake from the tin and set on a cooling rack. Using a pastry brush, glaze the top of the cake with the coconut sugar syrup.

Leave the cake the cake to cool.Store in an airtight container. Best eaten within 48 hours.

A perfectly warm spiced cake made with seasonal apples and sweet spices. Made with all natural ingredients that are plant-based, gluten and refined sugar free. Now you really can have your cake and eat it!

*All of our recipes are tested in the Against the Grain kitchen and oven. Baking times can vary, especially depending on your specific oven and its size. The times are an estimate only. Everyone’s kitchen tools are also a little different. Prep time may take longer or shorter than listed due to the type of equipment used*