Apples make this a nice moist cake, and the topping is optional but is pretty for a special tea. It is a one-stage mix which makes it easy to make. It tastes better if kept overnight in an airtight container but put on the topping just before eating.
Ingredience
- 225g (8 oz) cooking apples
- 50g (2 oz) brazil nuts
- 200g (7 oz) self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- zest of 1 lemon
- 150g (5 oz) soft margarine
- 175g (6 oz) caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- Topping – optional
- ½ red-skinned apple - unpeeled
- ½ green-skinned apple - unpeeled
- lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons apricot jam
- a few chopped nuts
METHOD
Line the tin with greaseproof paper and grease it. Heat the oven to GAS 4 / 180C. Peel and core the apples and chop into small pieces. Grind ½ oz of the nuts and chop the remainder.
Sieve the flour into a bowl with the baking powder and the grated zest of the lemon., beat in the margarine, sugar and eggs. Stir in the chopped apple and the nuts. Put into the prepared tin and bake for 1 ¼ hours approx or until it is firm in the centre. Leave in the tin for a few minutes then transfer onto a cooling rack to go cold. If keeping it overnight, do not decorate it but wrap it in kitchen foil.
Topping: Melt the apricot jam and brush the top of the cake. Quarter the apples and cut thin,even slices, dip them in lemon juice and arrange alternate colours down the centre of the cake. Brush them with boiling apricot jam. Put a line of chopped nuts down each side of the apples. This is delicious served with cream or crème fraiche