apple and cinnamon cake

Spring has arrived! The sun has finally appeared, the daffodils are out.... so I've baked an Autumnal flavoured cake. I'm nothing if not contrary.

This is another one of my classic "use the almost out of date/leftover food" bakes. The fruit basket contained a large pile of wrinkled, questionable looking apples as I've been neglecting to snack on them lately, favouring mini KitKats instead. Oops. Nevermind, I made a cake from my sad fruit. Hurray for unhealthy eating habits. Although I could claim this is healthy as it contains apples, sultanas and dried cranberries. That's 3 of my 5 a day.

Speaking of eating sweet stuff and being healthy, last week the dentist told me that my teeth are in very good condition. YAY! Although she did say that my lower set of wisdom teeth have decided to grow in horizontally. It seems even my teeth are contrary buggers.

The only way to celebrate having healthy teeth is to eat more sweet stuff and this cake is a good way to start. I first baked this cake 3 years ago and I'm horrified that it has taken me so long to bake again.

It truly is a beauty of a cake. The squidgy, spiced apple filling is a real treat, as is the crisp, sugary crust. There's a really satisfying balance of textures and flavours so I definitely won't leave it 3 years before I bake it again.

Apple and Cinnamon cake

Recipe slightly adapted from Mary Berry's Baking Bible.

225g (8oz) margarine

225g (8oz) light muscovado sugar

3 large eggs

100g (4oz) chopped pecans

50g (2oz) sultanas

50g (2oz) dried cranberries

225g (8oz) self-raising flour

2 level teaspoons baking powder

400g (14oz) apples, peeled, cored and grated

1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon

To finish:

light muscovado sugar, for sprinkling

chopped walnuts, for sprinkling

icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160/Gas 4. Grease and line a 23cm (9in) deep round cake tin with baking parchment. Measure the margarine, sugar, eggs, chopped pecans, sultanas, dried cranberries, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and beat for about 2 minutes until thoroughly blended. Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin then spread the grated apple and ground cinnamon in an even layer on top. Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top, level the surface then sprinkle generously with light muscovado sugar and walnuts.

Bake in the oven for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours until the cake is well risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out, peel off the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar to serve.