I’ve been making this apple cake recipe for 20 years, a friend gave me the recipe but after about 3 years had adapted it, was happy with the new recipe and stuck to it . The addition of cinnamon and mixed spice adds a warmth to the apples which for me have to be Bramley apples.
I use both light and dark soft brown sugar which gives a rich almost caramel flavour to the cake. It’s unusual in that it’s a rubbed in method . When making the cake only 3 eggs are needed as the apples make the cake moist.
What you will need
- 1 x 2lb loaf tins or an 8 inch deep loose bottom tin, line and grease the tin
- Set the oven for 160C fan assisted, 350F
- 350g self raising flour + a pinch of salt ( if you wish to make a gluten free version replace this flour with gf self raising flour)
- 1 teaspoon of mixed spice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 230g of soft margarine
- 100g light soft brown sugar
- 70g dark soft brown sugar
- 120g sultanas
- 500g cooking apples ( peeled weight, peel,core and dice the apples saving half an apple that can be sliced to decorate the top of the cake)
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 desert spoons of Demerara sugar
Method
Sift the flour,spices and salt into a large bowl.
Add the margarine in small pieces to the flour and rub in.
Stir in the sugars and the sultanas.
Stir in the diced apples.
Lightly beat the eggs and to this add the vanilla extract.
Fold the eggs into the mixture, do not beat.
Turn into the tin of your choice and smooth the top with a spoon and hollow out a little in the middle.
Sprinkle over the Demerara sugar and place the sliced apples down the middle of the cake.
Place on the middle shelf and bake for one hour, check that the cake is baked by placing a skewer into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean then the cake can be taken out of the oven.
If you are using a loaf tin let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the tin before lifting out and cooling completely on a cooling rack.
If you are using a round cake tin allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the tin.
This cake can also be served warm with custard or with cream.
If you wish you might like to add 3 tablespoons of marmalade instead of 100g of the apple.
Sift the flour,spices and salt into a large bowl.
Add the margarine in small pieces to the flour and rub in.
Stir in the sugars and the sultanas.
Stir in the diced apples.
Lightly beat the eggs and to this add the vanilla extract.
Fold the eggs into the mixture, do not beat.
Turn into the tin of your choice and smooth the top with a spoon and hollow out a little in the middle.
Sprinkle over the Demerara sugar and place the sliced apples down the middle of the cake.
Place on the middle shelf and bake for one hour, check that the cake is baked by placing a skewer into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean then the cake can be taken out of the oven.
If you are using a loaf tin let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the tin before lifting out and cooling completely on a cooling rack.
If you are using a round cake tin allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the tin.
This cake can also be served warm with custard or with cream.
If you wish you might like to add 3 tablespoons of marmalade instead of 100g of the apple.