Olive Oil Apple Honey Cake with Honey & Rosemary Syrup
Rosh Hashanah was late in 1997, not that I had ever thought about it, really. We were housesitting at a friend's farmstead just off the Gravenstein Highway in Sebastopol, and if you know the area, especially from decades ago, you'll recall the unforgettably heady floral and honeyed aroma of this apple variety as you drove along. The apple-laden orchards were often on both sides of the road. Sadly, the 15,000 or so acres of apple trees from that era have been reduced to fewer than 2,200 acres--replaced by grapes or other projects. Commercially, this variety of apple just doesn't travel well.
By early October, harvest had long since been completed, and only the memory of aromatic drives lingered. Our friend's apple tree still had a few hangers-on, and Donald and I picked one for dessert, slicing it to enjoy outside. Unknown to me at the time was the Jewish tradition of dipping apples in honey with the wish for a sweet new year. Donald, however, knew and off we trundled inside to open a jar of honey produced from the farmstead's own bees. Gravensteins are renown for their aroma and flavor, and although I did not have the training at the time to jot down the exact sensations, have since read aroma descriptors which include "floral, earthy, honeyed, with a hint of citrus zest". I asked Chat GPT to describe the flavor of a Gravenstein, and s/he replied [read this in a computer voice]:
"The Gravenstein apple offers a harmonious balance between tart and sweet. Its flavor profile conjures a bright acidity reminiscent of a lemony tang, complemented by undertones of ripe pear and hints of honey. The flesh, juicy and firm, provides a satisfying crunch that, when bitten into, releases a burst of refreshing juiciness. Compared to the common Red Delicious, the Gravenstein is brighter in taste, less sugary, and possesses a more complex flavor palette that lingers pleasantly on the palate."
It is not an exaggeration to claim that this--standing in a pantry noshing on slices of this late-season apple, heads bent over a shared butter plate filled with a pool of hyperlocal honey--will probably remain the peak apple-honey experience for me.
That said, this recipe is an unanticipated close second!
Olive Oil Apple Honey Cake with Honey & Rosemary Syrup
All though we call this a "cake" it is really sort of an especially moist quick bread. Just a few ingredients you likely already have on hand, fast and easy, and mighty tasty.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients for Cake
- ¾ cups Lucero Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ⅔ cups of honey
- ½ cup applesauce
- ½ cup Greek style plain yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients for Cake (sift together)
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Honey Syrup Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 inch sprig fresh rosemary
Directions
Preheat olive to 350ºF. Butter a cake pan, line with parchment paper, butter the paper, and set aside
Beat the eggs in a large bowl or in a stand mixer
Add all other wet ingredients to the bowl and mix until well incorporated: olive oil, honey, applesauce, yogurt, and vanilla extract.
Sift the dry ingredients (if you have not already done so) and fold them in to the wet mixture until incorporated. This is the flour, cinnamon, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean from the cake’s center.
Allow the cake to rest for about 5 minutes, then remove from pan onto a cooling rack.
Serve warm with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar or top with a honey syrup
Honey & Rosemary Syrup
Combine honey, water, and rosemary in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Immediately take off the heat and let stand for about 15 minutes to allow the flavor of the rosemary to infuse the honey. Remove the rosemary, and pour over the warm cake before serving.
