Dorset Apple Cake

This is one of those puddings that, at a glance, don't look like much, but in fact are simply irresistible. My mother found it online, looking for an apple cake and the family has loved it ever since. The Demerara sugar sprinkled over the top makes for a crisp, slightly chewy outside with a wonderfully soft, gooey centre. It also has an excellent texture as long as you beat the mixture enough, and the sharp tastes of the lemon and apple lift the cake deliciously. 

Ingredients:

• 450g cooking apples
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 225g softened butter
• 225g caster sugar
• 225g self raising flour
• 3 medium sized eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 25g ground almonds
• 1 tbsp Demerara sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius

2. Grease with butter a 23-24cm springfold-cake-tin and coat the inside with flour

3. Peel, core and chop the apples, before coating them in the lemon juice 

4. Cream together the butter, caster sugar and lemon zest until it is light and fluffy, if possible in an electric mixture

5. Add in the eggs and flour - a little at a time if you are mixing this by hand 

6. Mix the baking powder and ground almonds, until it forms a smooth batter

7. Stir in the apples

8. Spoon into the prepared tin and level the top, before sprinkling with Demerara sugar

9. Bake in the oven for 40mins-1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean

10. Remove from the oven, take the cake out of the tin and serve while warm with cream of ice cream