Kelly’s Apple and Blueberry Loaf

Serves 8 You will need:

• 225g self-raising flour • 125g butter, diced • Pinch of salt • 125g caster sugar • 2 large eggs, beaten • 1 tablespoon of milk • Drop of vanilla extract • 2 large apples, peeled, quartered, cored and thinly sliced • Small punnet of blueberries • Pearl sugar (optional) • Apricot jam to glaze (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 175°C, 350°F, Gas 5. Line or grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.

2 Put the flour, the diced butter and the pinch of salt in the food processor. Pulse until everything is the consistency of small breadcrumbs. Add the caster sugar and pulse to mix it through, then slowly add the beaten eggs. Add the milk and the vanilla extract, and mix until you have a thick cake batter.

3 Spread half the batter in the base of the lined tin. Place half of the sliced apples over the batter to cover it, and add a handful of blueberries, spacing them evenly.

4 Carefully spoon and spread the rest of the batter on top of the apple layer. Arrange another layer of apple slices and blueberries on top.

5 Scatter a tablespoon of pearl sugar over the top, if you are using it. Bake the loaf in the preheated oven for approximately one hour. It is done when it is golden brown in colour and it springs back when it’s pressed.

6 Remove it from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. When it is cooling, if you are glazing it, melt a tablespoon of apricot jam in the microwave. Carefully brush the melted jam over the top of the cake to finish.