Apple & Olive Oil Better-the-Next-Day Cake

Let’s be clear here. I’m highly sceptical of any recipe which tells me the cake is better eaten the next day, or even a few days later. This indicates to me that either the baker has superhuman levels of self-control, or their cake isn’t that enticing. Possibly both. And while I accept that certain fruitcakes are designed to be squirrelled away and drenched in booze for a few months before serving, those aren’t the sort of cakes I’m looking for.

So when I discovered an apple cake recipe that said the cake was better the next day, I sniffed a bit and got a little doubtful about my recipe choice. However, this was a recipe in Ottlenghi’s Sweet, from which I’d already baked the spectacular Coconut, Almond, & Blueberry Cake. And I generally like his recipes. They’re full of interesting flavours and nothing I’ve tried has been stodgy or boring. And I fancied something different to my Spiced Apple Cake (not sure why, as it’s amazing…).

Having announced to the SO that I was using dates instead of sultanas, and adding toasted walnuts (he didn’t even look surprised that I was doctoring an untried recipe. I think he’d have been more surprised if I hadn’t), I jumped in. Then discovered I didn’t have enough apples, and that the dates didn’t work as intended, so I added more dates.

What?

And, you know, it turned out nicely. It rose high, and it was lovely and moist, and, well. It was nice. Maybe I should have iced it, like the recipe said. I didn’t because I’m lazy and can rarely be bothered, plus we had no maple syrup or cream cheese for the icing part of the recipe. I think, at this point, my level of baking organisation surprises no one.

But it wasn’t a wow cake. It wasn’t amazing. I was oddly unenthused, for someone who tends to be enthused about pretty much any baked goods.

Until I tried some the next day. And the next. Because, oh yes. Yes, this improves. It doesn’t need icing. It just needs a little time to mature.

I shall no longer be looking sideways at cakes that tell you to leave them a day or so. I shall be celebrating the older cake. Some of us are just better with age…

Now tell me, lovely people – do you have a favourite make-ahead dish, sweet or savoury? Let me know below!

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Apple & Olive Oil Cake

Mashed up from Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh’s Sweet

• 100g chopped dates (or whole sultanas)
• 257 mL water
• 350 g flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200 g chopped toasted walnuts (totally optional – I just fancied them)
• 800 g apples (I only had about 600 g, so made up the difference with more chopped dates (not soaked))
• 200g sugar
• 150 mL olive oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten, plus 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla
• finely grated zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a springform cake tin with high sides (this is a big cake! I froze half).

Pop 100 g chopped dates or your sultanas in a saucepan with 200 mL of the water. Simmer until absorbed – the dates will go really squidgy, which is another reason I added unsoaked ones (what? Unsupervised substitution requires improvisation sometimes).

Sift flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and together in a bowl and set aside. Peel and core apples, and chop into small-ish dice (the recipe said 2 – 3 cm – I went a bit smaller but still think they’re a bit big). Set aside.

Beat sugar, olive oil, whole eggs, vanilla and lemon zest on medium speed for 6 – 7 minutes, or until the mix is light in colour, doubled in size, and thickened a little. Add apples, dates or sultanas, remaining 75 mL of water, and walnuts (if using) and fold in gently. Next fold in dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then carefully fold into rest of mix. Scrape the lot into your cake tin, and bake until a skewer comes out with just the odd crumb clinging to it – likely 55 minutes or a bit longer.

Let cake cool in tin and, yes, give it a day before you dig in.

I can’t believe I wrote that.

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Now over to you, lovely people!

What are your favourite make-ahead dishes? Let me know below!

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