Last week I needed a dessert for my pie loving in-law family and I was lucky enough to find Charles‘ beautiful Appelkaka, a Swedish apple cake. I knew JTs family would like it because they are pie people and apple is one of their fav’s. We’re all trying to cut down our carbs, so when I saw this cake is made without the traditional pastry, I decided to make it. Of course, things don’t always go as planned, so when I started out to make the cake, I gathered all my ingredients. Apples: check. Sugar substitute: check (I had one diabetic and one hypo-glycemic in the house). Bread crumbs: wait…does that package say Parmesan Bread Crumbs? Oh my. Change of plans. Nix the bread crumbs and get out the food processor and pulse 120 g of Oats a few times, I wanted some texture, so it wasn’t pulsed to a smooth powder, but almost. And there we had it. When I changed up the bread crumbs to oats, I thought I’d change up the method as bit as well. I hope you don’t mind Charles, it turned out quite successful and the plates were licked clean. Thanks again for a lovely Swedish dessert.
Appelkaka, A Swedish Apple Cake
Serves 8-10, depending on the slice size
Ingredients:
- 6 or 7 large Apples
- 4-6 tsp Stevia (I had organic stevia powder at home, so I just used that. I think it was this brand – no weird aftertaste)
- 120 g Oats, pulsed a few times in a food processor (not quite 100% powdery but close)
- 50 g almond meal or roughly chopped almonds
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- Splash of lemon juice
- Sliced almonds for garnish
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp stevia
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
- Pre heat the oven to 395°F. Line a 10″ spring form pan with a little parchment (my pan didn’t have tall enough sides, so I had to make my sides out of parchment).
- Peel and coarsely grate the apples and splash a bit of lemon juice into it so it stops them from discolouring.
- Mix the pulsed oats, cinnamon, almonds and butter until it resembles a coarse meal.
- Take about 1/3 of the oat mix and press firmly into the bottom of the spring form pan. Add about 1/2 of the grated apples on top and sprinkle with another third of the oats. Finish with the remainder of the apples and press firmly down. Sprinkle the final third of the oat mix on top, just like a crumble.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or until the apples are soft.
- Garnish with sliced almonds and serve with Greek yogurt, flavoured with a tsp of stevia, lemon zest and a small splash of pure vanilla.
Our Easter Lunch, complete with the wonderful Beef Tenderloin.
[…] for this show stopper apple cake (plus I made a few changes since the first time I made it in 2013). I originally found this cake on my friend Charles’ blog, Five Euro Food (in hiatus right […]
LikeLike
There is something so so good about a moist apple cake. Too tempting for me to only eat one 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks Jed, that’s the nice thing about this cake that it’s not too caloric or fatty.
LikeLike
What a lovely apple cake! Glad to hear it went over so well! I think my family would love this too…
LikeLike
If you like baked apples this is definitely the cake for you. The recipe really allows the fruit to shine.
LikeLike
A fantastic looking apple cake, so special too! Yummm!
LikeLike
Thanks Sophie, I really love a recipe that is true to its ingredients and this one surely does.
LikeLike
Hi Eva, thank you so much for your kind words, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it. As for minding if you modify it… how could I mind? You’ve done wonderful things with it and I think it looks even better than my original version. The addition of oats is a great idea. It must certainly give it that extra little bit of structure and body and it certainly looks excellent in the photos!
I’ll personally be sticking to regular sugar in my versions, but it’s a great idea for those with dietary requirements which involve avoiding the stuff.
Great job Eva, and I’m so glad it was well enjoyed! 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Charles, thank you so much for your kind words; and yes of course, I would have chosen real sugar too had it not been for the dietary restrictions, but as point, it did not change the flavour (and no weird after taste either!).
It was so well enjoyed, you can be that it will be made again, as has been your other incredible Swedish creations!
LikeLike
Gorgeous meal Eva, love the tablecloth too. Genius thinking on the red wine camoflage.
LikeLike
Thank you kindly Genie. Yes the camoflage idea came to me the first time I used my $80 tablecloth from Provence and someone dribbled their red wine on it.
LikeLike
This looks delicious – I’m sure the rolled oats add such a great texture. And a fantastic presentation!
LikeLike
Thanks so much Bill, nice to hear from you again.
LikeLike
Oh Eva, that’s some high quality meal. I’d be in heaven at that table! The dessert is lovely.
LikeLike
Thanks Maureen, it was quite enjoyable.
LikeLike
What a nice dinner you prepared, Eva. You are such a talented cook and, from what I’ve seen, the consumate hostess. That’s quite a combination and I bet your guests long remember dining at your home. This must be the season for apple cakes. I made one — nothing as nice as yours — about a month ago and Zia made another about a week later. Baked apple is such a wonderful flavor and leave it to you to find a way to lower the carbs but keep all of the flavor of Charles’s delicious cake.
LikeLike
Now you’re making me blush John, thank you for your generous compliments!
I love to feed people! There, I said it. Feeding people makes me very happy.
I live the simplicity if ingredients in this ‘cake’, really allows the apple to shine. I know I’ll make it again. I hope you’ll post your apple cake, I’d love to see it.
LikeLike
Eva, what a gorgeous post! I was about to open with your snaps of the first signs of spring (gotta love the freeze, thaw cycles in Canada ;-)) and then I saw your jaw-dropping version of the Swedish Apple Cake (seriously? you could serve that at the swankiest spots in town) but then… I saw the family photos and that always steals the show for me… a touch of personal, the warmth, the love radiating through the room. It transforms a post from the ordinary to the extraordinary for me. So beautiful (and so is your home by the by… love the wood!).
LikeLike
Thank you kindly Kelly for your lovely words. This was a special lunch because JTs dad was able to join us, he hasn’t been to our home for about 2 years. He’s 89 this year and quite frail. Since his 91 year old wife was moved out of the retirement residence to a nursing home (her children’s decision) dad has made a significant improvement. He doesn’t sleep 20 hours a day anymore! He stayed with it the entire time. We were so pleased, he said he had an amazing time and wants to do it again, and that makes me happy.
LikeLike
Gorgeous cake, Eva. I once tried also using oats instead of flour to put as a crumble topping and it has worked perfectly well on an apple cake!
Oats are so underrated… (is it an English word?).
I am glad to see you also use stevia. It’s probably the healthiest sugar substitute. Unfortunately some brands are a bit bitter, so it doesn’t suit all the desserts, but I have already used it in apple crumbles and it worked perfectly well. It seemed that you have had wonderful Easter meal. I like your tablecloth a lot!
LikeLike
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments Sissi. Yes, indeed underrated is an English word!
Zsuzsa reminded me of your apple cake so I’m going to pop over to your blog this weekend to find it. I seem to have a real affinity with Charles’ Swedish dessert recipes, plus who doesn’t live the word kaka in Swedish? It’s fun to say and I know I’ll freak out the kids (my brother’s kids) when I tell them dessert is a Swedish Kaka!
We did have a lovely Easter, thank you. We’re having another next weekend with my family, but I’ll cook something entirely different.
Thank you for your compliment on my table cloth, the pattern is poppies done in a water colour style. I liked it because red wine always gets splattered regardless so I figured this pattern would hide it well.
LikeLike
Your Easter celebration looks memorable. Your version of Charles cake was a nice ending to your meal.
LikeLike
Thank you kindly Karen, I love to set a bountiful table; and feeding people makes me very happy.
LikeLike
Never have grated apple cake before, tempting to try…..
superbly moist result i think…
LikeLike
Hi Dedy, welcome to my blog. As I mentioned in my other comments, I would make this cake again for a few reasons:
– tasty (always number one)
– easy (a real bonus)
– simple ingredients I almost always have at home)
– did I mention tasty?
Now I shall pop over and check your blog. A chef dentist intrigues me as I already know Sawsan from Jordan who is an orthodontist by day and beautiful chef/blogger by night!
LikeLike
Wow that is quite the Easter spread! I loved Charles cake and your version turned out beautiful. There are so many apples in the cake it just has to be super moist and delicious.
LikeLike
Thanks so much Bam. I love to feed people and I do love a bountiful table; that’s another wonderful talent I inherited from my beautiful and generous Mother. And if anything, I always try to err on the more side; if you don’t have leftovers, you didn’t make enough!
I would reco this cake whole-heartedly, it’s really exceptional for the few ingredients it contains.
LikeLike
Wow, that tenderloin looks just perfect, but it doesn’t surprise me.. they’re lucky to have you for their personal chef, Eva! I love that you can just change up a recipe that easily, I would have sent someone to the store for the missing ingredients.. I love oats and think it would have added a great texture to the cake. I’m a big fan of Charles and I bet he must have been proud of your cake! Wait.. I’ll scroll up and see if he’s been here already! Btw.. those flowers, are they some sort of wildflower or some planted perennials, they’re so cheery! xx (ps still gloomy as all get out here!)
LikeLike
Thank you so much for your generous comments Barbara, the dinner did turn out exceptionally well. And the cake was apple-y and very tasty.
It’s getting a bit warmer here now, I guess we just got spoiled last year.
LikeLike
I’m trying to cut carbs too so this recipe is very timely Eva! And I bet they couldn’t wait to try the cake 😀
LikeLike
And isn’t it fall in your parts too? Perfect timing for apples if I’m not mistaken. Thank you for your kind words, as always Lorraine.
LikeLike
It looks wonderful! Do you have a Swedish connection? I love your gf version of a Swedish favourite… will have to try it out 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks so much miss marzipan, I met fellow blogger Charles in Paris who is married to a Swedish girl and he posts wonderful Swedish recipes.
LikeLike
This cake is incredible my friend 😀
Cheers
CCU
LikeLike
Thanks so much CCU, and it’s not super high in calories too! Win-win!
LikeLike
Mouthwatering!!!! The port sauce looks delicious.
LikeLike
Thank you kindly Minnie, it really was a lovely sauce with the tender beef.
LikeLike
I LOVE the topping of this cake!!! I could dive right in =)
LikeLike
What a nice thing to say, thank you SM.
LikeLike
Eva this recipe reminded me of Sissi’s apple cake. BTW I love your port sauce in the last picture. 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks so much Zsuzsa, I must check out Sissi’s cake, I’d forgotten about it, thank you. Yes that port sauce has layers of rich flavours built into it, definitely worth the effort.
LikeLike
Love this low-carb afternoon coffee cake. Irresistible with some sour cream or yogurt.
LikeLike
Thank you Angie, the Greek yogurt flavoured with lemon zest and sugar went perfectly with the apple cake.
LikeLike
I think that looks like my last ever meal, replace mash with chips and I’m sold. The apple pie is gorgeous, I love the crumb topping. I’ll swap you a bit for my chocolate tart.
LikeLike
Thank you very much David; with eight people we decided to serve family style so there was no fancy plating, like your dinner parties, but it sure was tasty.
I would definitely take a small slice of your dreamy chocolate tart, as I mentioned on your blog 😉
LikeLike
This is now on my to-do list in life. Looks great
LikeLike
Thanks Jen.
LikeLike
Like your oats substitute, glad it turned out superb.
Pretty crocuses, hope that was the last snow for you. Warming up as of today, spring has finally arrived and is here to stay, I think. Hope you are warming up too.
LikeLike
Hi Norma, thank you kindly, I liked the flavour and texture that both the oats and almonds brought.
It was supposed to heat up today, but it still felt chilly—at least the sun was out. Fingers crossed that the weekend is just as lovely and warmer!
LikeLike
All that apple must make it a wonderfully moist ‘cake’ and it doesn’t need any fancy decorating to make a lovely presentation either. Sounds like a great dish for family or company.
LikeLike
Thank you kindly Maria, it was pretty tasty, and I think it was because it was so dense with apples, just a simple cake but quite pretty too. You can even make a small version!
LikeLike
I gotta try this cake since both you and Charles have me drooling over it. How high do the sides need to be if I might ask? I have a standard spring form pan.
LikeLike
The standard spring form pan is perfect, mine was more of a French tart pan which was about 2 cm high. My 8-10″ spring form rusted out about 10 years ago and I haven’t replaced it, it’s on the list when we go to Tap Phong!
LikeLike
Everyone in my family is cutting back on carbs too. I saw this on Charles’ blog and it looked like such a great apple cake – so much apple and so little cake xx
LikeLike
I’m definitely making this again Charlie, I hope you do try it and put your own personal twist on it; it is rather delicious. And you can use regular sugar instead of a substitute. Have a great weekend.
LikeLike
G’day! That looks delicious! While I am (personally) not a big fan of Stevia, I wonder if this would work well with Xylitol? (which I use on a regular basis)
The recipe is GREAT as is…but am thinking maybe orange zest or Mandarin….mmmm Cheers! Joanne
LikeLike
Thank you for dropping by Joanne, welcome! I’ve not heard of xylitol, I’m going to Google it, thank you for the reference. I prefer lemon zest with apple, but the orange or mandarin would work too. Hope you enjoy it.
LikeLike
http://www.xlear.com/about-xylitol.aspx
Thanks Eva! I am not associated with the company, but use it in my cooking and baking with few exceptions. It is a sugarless sugar; same taste/texture etc and does not spike the blood like other sugar “alternatives” ALL do 🙂 ENJOY!
LikeLike
Thanks for your reply http://www.xlear.com
I am not associated with the company but use it with WONDERFUL results for both baking and cooking; check out the FAQ’s as there is one or two things that the sugarless sugar won’t do but have worked out ways around it without compromising taste! Enjoy!
LikeLike