Step 1

First, combine the flour, salt, ground spices, baking soda and baking powder in a sieve.

Step 2

Sift the dry ingredients twice and set aside.

Step 3

Brush or grease a round 7.5 to 8-inch pan with a neutral flavored oil. You can also line the pan with parchment. Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes.

Step 4

Take the chopped apples (rinsed, cored and peeled) and raw sugar in a blender jar or container.

Step 5

Blend to a smooth purée without any chunks.

Step 6

Use a spatula to pour the apple puree into a mixing bowl.

Step 7

Add oil, water, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

Step 8

With a wired whisk, stir this mixture briskly for 2 to 3 minutes so that the oil is incorporated evenly in it.

Step 9

Add the sifted dry ingredients to this wet ingredients liquid mixture.

Step 10

Gently mix the dry ingredients in the wet ingredients with light pressure from your hands. Don't over work the batter. It should feel light and have volume.

Step 11

The batter has a medium flowing consistency.

Step 12

Break large lumps of flour if any by tapping on them with wired whisk. Tiny lumps are fine in the batter.

Step 13

Pour the batter in the prepared pan.

Step 14

Bake at 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit) in a preheated oven for about 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 15

Remember that oven temperatures vary, so check if the cake is done or not with a toothpick when the top looks golden.

Step 16

Check the doneness with a wooden skewer. The skewer should come out clean with no sticky batter on it.

Step 17

Place the baking pan on a wired tray and cool the apple cake at room temperature.

Step 18

After cooling, gently use a butter knife to remove the cake from the pan.

Step 19

Slice and enjoy the apple cake. Serve the cake slices at room temperature with tea or coffee.

Step 20

Tightly wrap the cake in a cling film or keep the cake in an airtight container and refrigerate. Your leftover apple cake can be refrigerated for a week and frozen for a month.