Dragon's Almond Apple Cake

It seems like apple recipes have been popping up everywhere these days! And with the colder weather (finally) making a return around here, I had a very particular craving for a fruit and spice-filled snack cake. The first time I saw this beauty on Dragon's Kitchen I was struck by its simple elegance. Now that I've made it almost a year later, I'm impressed by the balance of flavors and can think of few better ways to kick off the apple season. Apple and almond are definitely partners that I will match up again and again from now on.

The original cake is surely amazing (Dragon's made it over 100 times so it's gotta be!) but I couldn't resist sprinkling some spices into the batter itself and not just the topping. This extra boost is still subtle and doesn't overpower the almond flavor. Next time I also plan to add 1/4 cup applesauce for an additional layer of flavor, plus super moistness. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe, Dragon. Your home is definitely not the only one this cake is well-loved in!


Almond Apple Cake [Printable Recipe]
Adapted from Dragon's Kitchen

XIAOLU'S NOTE: My apples were pretty large, so I was afraid to weigh down the cake with the whole mountain of slices and left some off. But I shouldn't have because they totally shrunk down during baking, so don't be be afraid to pile it all on there!

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup almonds, sliced
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan (I lined the bottom with parchment paper and only buttered the sides). In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground spices, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Mix in the yogurt, butter, and extracts. Stir wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan and arrange the apple slices over top of the batter.

About to go into the oven

For the topping, combine the almonds, sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the topping over apples. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick (or very thin knife in my case) inserted in the center comes out clean.