Apple Butter, Pecan, and Olive Oil Cake

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)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease or line a 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
3. In a large bowl, mix apple butter, mashed banana, olive oil, and egg until smooth.
4. Add flour mixture to apple butter mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in pecans.
5. 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.
6. Wrap leftovers in tinfoil or store in an airtight container at room temperature.