I've been meaning to blog this cake for months, so it's no longer entirely seasonal, but better late than never eh! Apples can be found any time of the year now anyway, particularly if you're looking to use up the last of your autumnal bounty, and in this recipe they work their magic to create a most scrumptious cake, and a thrifty one at that.
Adapted from the recipe given at http://www.allotment.org.uk
Serves 8
225g eating apples, washed, peeled, cored and diced
225g plain flour, sifted
1 and a half teaspoons baking powder
115g unsalted butter, room temperature, diced
1 egg, room temperature (beaten)
juice of half a lemon (or lime)
115g light muscovado sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
for the topping:
half a teaspoon ground cinnamon
50g demerara sugar
1. Turn the oven to 180 C (160 fan ovens), and grease and line an 8cm round cake tin.
2. Cover the apple pieces with the lemon juice, and put to one side to soak.
3. Use your hands to rub the butter into the flour and baking powder in a large bowl, as if making a crumble topping. You want to create the consistency of crumbs.
4. In a small bowl, beat the egg until frothy, then add it to the flour and butter crumbs, stirring gently.
5. Stir in the muscovado sugar and butter, beating the whole mixture together. Add the milk a spoonful at a time, stirring until the batter is a soft doughy consistency. Finally, remove the apples from their lemon soak, and stir them gently into the batter until combined.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, smooth over the top and put to one side.
7. Then quickly make the cake topping, by mixing the demerara sugar and cinnamon together, and sprinkling the crunchy topping liberally over the cake.
8. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Take out the oven, then leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack or plate.
9. Eat on its own, or with lashings of westcountry cream!
This cake was idly baked to the sounds of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds No More Shall We Part
ahhh
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