Apple and olive oil cake

This cake is similar to one made famous by the Italian food writer Anna del Conte. The olive oil replaces butter, and gives the cake a beautiful depth of flavour.

Preheat the oven to 170c; Grease a 20cm springform cake tin with olive oil then dust it with flour,

Put the raisins in a bowl with the cider and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Discard the cider and set the raisins to one side. Pour the oil into a mixing bowl, add the sugar and beat (use an electric mixer if you have one) until smooth and emulsified. Add the beaten egg, and whisk for another 2 minutes or so.

Fold in the ground almonds, the flour, cinnamon and salt, then mix in the apple with the raisins. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin, and bake for 1 hour. Test to see if it is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre – if it comes out dry it is done. Leave to cool in the tin. Serve with cream.

Ingredients

• 120g raisins
• 1 glass cider
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• 200g light muscovado sugar
• 2 whole eggs, beaten
• 200g ground almonds
• 150g self raising flour
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 cox’s apples, peeled and chopped into 1 cm dice