apple & almond cake
This fruity treat is ideal for autumn
takes 1hr serves 10
2 Bramley apples 1tbsp lemon juice ½ cinnamon stick 150g unsalted butter, softened 175g golden caster sugar 2 eggs, beaten
250g plain flour 1tsp baking powder 1tsp ground cinnamon
50g ground almonds for the topping 3 Braeburn
apples 2tbsp apricot jam
1 First, make the apple sauce. Peel, core and thinly slice the Bramley apples and place in a pan with the lemon juice and cinnamon. Cover and cook gently until the apples are soft and have formed a thick sauce. Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon and leave to cool.
2 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ Gas 4. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until thick and pale. Gradually add the eggs, beating until thoroughly mixed. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, add the almonds and fold together. Measure 250g of the cooled apple sauce and fold through. Spoon the mixture into a 20cm springform buttered and base-lined cake tin. You can freeze any leftover apple sauce for later use.
3 Quarter and core the Braeburn apples and slice each quarter into three. Arrange the apples in a circle on the batter. Bake for 35-40min, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, cover with foil for the last 10min of baking.
4 Place the cake on a wire rack to cool. Heat the jam and 1tbsp water in a small pan until melted. Brush over the cake and then leave to cool.