“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple.” J.K.Rowling
This very simple apple cake, a traditional regional cake, is an English favourite for the autumn season which can be embellished with spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon or nuts such as walnuts or almonds – or both. Nutty additions or sliced apples can also be used decoratively to top the cake before baking. Serve with a generous helping of clotted cream.
NOTES
– Beat your butter and sugar well. At least five minutes until it’s gone a lovely pale colour and creamy consistency.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Equipment:
- electric hand or stand mixer (we used our KitchenAid)
- 9 inch deep-sided tin
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
- 400g peeled and diced cooking apples
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 225g butter, softened to room temperature, plus extra for greasing
- 225g caster sugar, plus extra for scattering
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 225g plain flour
- 3tsp baking powder
- 25g ground almonds
- 1tsp vanilla paste
- 1tbsp Demerara sugar
Optional extras if desired: (not used in ours above)
- 50g roughly chopped nuts (for example almonds or walnuts)
- 1 tsp spices (for example nutmeg, cinnamon, mixed spice, ginger)
- extra slices of apple for a decorative topping
To serve:
- clotted cream
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/1Gas mark 4. Grease and line a 9 inch cake tin with baking paper.
- Peel, core and cut the apples into 1cm pieces, and toss with the lemon juice.
- Using your electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest on medium-high until pale and fluffy. About five minutes.
- Beat in the eggs a little at the time, adding a little flour if needed as you go to prevent curdling.
- Sift the remaining flour and baking powder into the mixture and fold in gently with the ground almonds until fully incorporated.
- Drain the apple pieces well, then stir into the mix with the vanilla paste.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, gently level the top and scatter with the demerara sugar.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for around 50 minutes to an hour – the cake is ready when an inserted skewer comes out clean. Be sure to check at 45 minutes and if the top appears to have already turned a lovely golden brown but the cake needs a little extra cooking, cover with baking paper to prevent burning.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the tin and place on a cake stand. Scatter caster sugar generously on top before serving still warm with a dollop of clotted cream.
