Recipe CXXX - Dorset Apple Cake

One of the advantages of being holed up in a health crisis is the opportunity to do all of those things we haven't had time to do in recent times. It's been a while since I posted a recipe; this is due to a number of things: firstly, I was gravely ill a couple of years ago, then I got a huge amount of work to do, and finally I had three kids in as many years. So please excuse the lack of posts. I hope this recipe will be the first in a revival of my blog, and I would like to thank a lady with the initials AK for the inspiration.

This one is a simple but delicious recipe; Dorset, Somerset and Devon are very well known in Britain as being the home of the apple. It's where most cider makers are based, and as there are so many apples down there (there is even the town of Appledore in Devon, just to reinforce the concept), they make this lovely cake with the local produce. 

This cake is best served warm, but when cold, tastes different but no less intense.

Ingredients:
2 cooking apples, cored, peeled and chopped, then doused in the juice of half a lemon
250g of plain flour
8ml baking powder
130g cold butter, cubed
180g light brown sugar
1 beaten egg
50ml milk, possibly a little more needed later
As much cinnamon as you dare

I also added five spice, but it's not in the original recipe.

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a round cake tin with butter

Once you have dealt with the apple and lemon juice, put it aside for a few minutes while you do the rest.

Mix and sift the flour and baking powder, then throw in the butter. Mix well with your fingers until it has the consistency of breadcrumbs.

Add about four-fifths of the sugar, plus most of the cinnamon (and five spice if you like), plus the apples, then dump the egg on top, mixing thoroughly until it reaches a good homogeneous light-brown colour.

Then pour in the milk until it has a soft texture that falls slowly off a spoon.

Transfer everything to the cake tin and flatten it out. If the dough is of the right consistency, this should work almost without the aid of a utensil.

Sprinkle the rest of the sugar and some more cinnamon over the top, and put it in the oven for about 45 minutes.

When it's done, let it set in the cake tin for five to ten minutes, but not too much longer, because as I mentioned earlier, it's fantastic to eat when still warm.

It goes splendidly well with a cup of coffee - enjoy!