Olive Oil Cake with Fall Apples

Cake doesn't always have to be an elaborate work of art dedicated to the love my child feels for a random show or cartoon character. Sometimes cake should be just that, cake. No fondant, no butter cream, nothing to hide behind. Remove the smoke and mirrors and a good cake should be able to stand on its own. Yes, I understand that the lack of elaborate design leaves the cake vulnerable in this world filled with Pinterest cakes; but the flavor alone makes up for it two-fold. Promise. 

I realize that this cake is a bit a work; with the sauces, apples, and mascarpone whip. Don't be deterred. A little hard work is totally worth it for the delicious cake that you'll be enjoying. 🙂

Yields1 Serving
Prep Time1 hrCook Time30 minsTotal Time1 hr 30 mins
Olive Oil Cake
 1 cup + 1 teaspoon of All Purpose Flour
 ½ tsp + 1/8 teaspoon of Baking Powder
 ½ tsp + 1/8 teaspoon of Kosher Salt
 1 medium sized egg
 ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons of whole milk
 ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Mascarpone Whip
 1 cup heavy cream
 8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
 ½ cup powdered sugar
 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Caramel Sauce
 1 cup brown sugar, packed
 ½ cup half and half
 4 tbsp butter
 pinch of salt
 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Apples in Caramel Sauce
 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
 1 tsp lemon juice
 ¼ cup granulated sugar
 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  tsp salt
 pinch of nutmeg
Olive Oil Cake
1

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line a 1/4 sheet pan with parchment paper, spray parchment paper with cooking spray.

2

Place the flour in a medium bowl. Sift in the baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and mix on medium-low speed for about 1 minute.
Increase the speed to medium and whip for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue whip on medium-high speed for another 5 minutes. The eggs and sugar mixture is ready when you lift the whisk and the mixture creates a slowly dissolving ribbon.

3

Combine the milk and olive oil. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, add half the dry ingredients, then half the milk mixture, mixing until well combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients then the milk mixture.

4

Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and spread it around to create an even layer. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
When done, remove cake from baking pan. Set on a cooling rack to cool completely.

While cake is cooling make the mascarpone whip.

Mascarpone Whip
5

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners sugar until smooth.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until completly incorporated.
Place in the fridge until ready to frost the cake.

Caramel Sauce
6

Mix the brown sugar, half and half, butter, and salt in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Cook whisky gently for 5 - 7 minutes until the sauce gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook for another minute to thicken a bit more. Turn off the heat, and transfer to a mason jar to cool.

Fall Apples
7

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a sauce pan; add 1 tablespoon of water, stir well, and bring to a boil.
Add apples and the lemon juice to the sauce pan, and cook until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Assemble the cake
8

Once cake is cooled, cut in half.
Set on half of the cake on your desired plating dish, add generous layer of mascarpone whip, then top with a thin layer of caramel sauce.
Set other half of cake over the caramel and whip layer, and frost the top of the cake with the remaining mascarpone whip.

When ready to serve, add the fall apples, and drizzle with caramel sauce.
Serve and enjoy.

Ingredients

Olive Oil Cake
 1 cup + 1 teaspoon of All Purpose Flour
 ½ tsp + 1/8 teaspoon of Baking Powder
 ½ tsp + 1/8 teaspoon of Kosher Salt
 1 medium sized egg
 ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons of whole milk
 ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Mascarpone Whip
 1 cup heavy cream
 8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
 ½ cup powdered sugar
 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Caramel Sauce
 1 cup brown sugar, packed
 ½ cup half and half
 4 tbsp butter
 pinch of salt
 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Apples in Caramel Sauce
 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
 1 tsp lemon juice
 ¼ cup granulated sugar
 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  tsp salt
 pinch of nutmeg

Directions

Olive Oil Cake
1

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line a 1/4 sheet pan with parchment paper, spray parchment paper with cooking spray.

2

Place the flour in a medium bowl. Sift in the baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and mix on medium-low speed for about 1 minute.
Increase the speed to medium and whip for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue whip on medium-high speed for another 5 minutes. The eggs and sugar mixture is ready when you lift the whisk and the mixture creates a slowly dissolving ribbon.

3

Combine the milk and olive oil. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, add half the dry ingredients, then half the milk mixture, mixing until well combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients then the milk mixture.

4

Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and spread it around to create an even layer. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
When done, remove cake from baking pan. Set on a cooling rack to cool completely.

While cake is cooling make the mascarpone whip.

Mascarpone Whip
5

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners sugar until smooth.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until completly incorporated.
Place in the fridge until ready to frost the cake.

Caramel Sauce
6

Mix the brown sugar, half and half, butter, and salt in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Cook whisky gently for 5 - 7 minutes until the sauce gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook for another minute to thicken a bit more. Turn off the heat, and transfer to a mason jar to cool.

Fall Apples
7

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a sauce pan; add 1 tablespoon of water, stir well, and bring to a boil.
Add apples and the lemon juice to the sauce pan, and cook until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Assemble the cake
8

Once cake is cooled, cut in half.
Set on half of the cake on your desired plating dish, add generous layer of mascarpone whip, then top with a thin layer of caramel sauce.
Set other half of cake over the caramel and whip layer, and frost the top of the cake with the remaining mascarpone whip.

When ready to serve, add the fall apples, and drizzle with caramel sauce.
Serve and enjoy.

Olive Oil Cake with Fall Apples

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