Perfect for breakfast or a snack, this cake is a healthier version of an apple butter bread recipe I created last autumn. Whole wheat flour complements the pecans, amplifying their nutty flavor and subtle crunch, and olive oil replaces butter. I was worried the cake would turn out dense because of the whole wheat flour, but the opposite happened: somehow, it’s lighter and fluffier than the original! For maximum moisture and flavor, I replaced a bit of the apple butter with mashed banana. Turbinado sugar sprinkled on top lends a sparkly, crunchy crust.
Apple Butter, Pecan, and Olive Oil cake
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup apple butter, or any combination of apple butter and mashed banana (I filled the cup 3/4 of the way with apple butter, and topped it off with 1.5 mashed bananas)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 egg
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease or line a 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
- In a large bowl, mix apple butter, mashed banana, olive oil, and egg until smooth.
- Add flour mixture to apple butter mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in pecans.
- Transfer batter to prepared baking pan. Bake for around 35 minutes, until batter is set and a fork or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Let cool directly in the pan, and then cut into wedges.
- Wrap leftovers in tinfoil or store in an airtight container at room temperature.
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