Strawberry apple cake with honey
Given the chance, I add fruit and vegetables to almost all my cakes and loaves. Apart from their sweetness, they also add wonderful flavour that’s hard to beat. This Strawberry apple cake with honey is currently one of my favourites. The combination is a real joy. Slightly tart and not overly sweet.
The smell of honey and apples fill the air. It’s homely and reminiscent of my grandmother’s kitchen. She loved stewed apples. Often, we’d have cinnamon apples with warm runny custard for dessert. Whether you prefer yours fresh or baked into an irresistible crumble, the versatility of apples make them ideal for savoury dishes and sweet bakes.
I’ve used a couple of alternative ingredients in this cake that’ll boost the taste and the nutritional value. Spelt is one of my go to flours. It makes for the best crusty wholemeal hamburger buns and my favourite bakery style apple and carrot morning muffins. Although relatively new to the South african market, it’s been around since Ancient Roman times. With a wholesome nutty taste, it’s relatively well tolerated by those who are gluten sensitive, but remember, spelt is not gluten-free. The addition of Greek yoghurt reduces the amount of oil needed and keeps the cake moist for days.
Brushed with honey butter glaze and a light dusting of icing sugar, this apple cake is lovely served warm with Greek yoghurt or softly whipped cream. Either way, the simplicity of baked apples makes this a seasonal delight.
Note: Slicing the cake requires a slow and steady carving action with a sharp serrated knife.
Strawberry apple cake with honey
- 3 apples, preferably pink skinned, like Honey crunch or Pink Lady
- juice of half a lemon
- 70g butter, room temperature
- 60ml coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup Greek yoghurt
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 1/2 cup whole meal spelt flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose cake flour or gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of salt
- 150g strawberries, hulled and diced
- 1 tablespoon honey + 2 tablespoons melted butter (glaze)
- Preheat the oven to 180º C. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper. Core the apples (skin on), halve and slice into thin wedges. Place the apples in a bowl and spritz over the lemon juice to prevent discolouration.
- Whisk together the butter, coconut oil, honey and brown sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold through the Greek yoghurt and lemon zest. Sift in the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat on a low speed until just combined. Fold through the strawberries. Spread the batter out evenly into the baking tin.
- Press the apples wedges gently into the batter, starting from the outer edge, working your way towards the centre. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and cooked through. Brush the hot cake with the melted honey and butter glaze. Place back into the oven under the grill for 2 minutes to darken and caramelise the apples. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before un-moulding. Dust with confectioner’s sugar to finish.
If you love baking with spelt flour, here’s another Bibbyskitchen favourite:
6 Comments. Leave new
What a pretty cake! Looks like a simply lovely use for fresh fruits 🙂
Beautiful! I just ordered some spelt wheat berries and have been looking for recipes to try with my home-milled flour. This cake looks fantastic and the flavors with the coconut, honey, and apple – what a nice combination. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is an insanely pretty cake – so I love how it is healthy as well (or at least as healthy as a cake can reasonably get!). The perfect weekend morning tea treat.
That’s so kind of you Claudia. It’s quite a feat to combine healthy and delicious into one cake, but we’re half way there with this one!
Wow! Home milling sounds fabulous Cynthia. So rewarding to see produce through all the different stages. Hope it turns out great.
Hi there June. Nothing quite as delicious as a seasonal fruit-rich cake. Thank you!