Apple cake

Apple Cake

Ingredients :

Butter – 175 gms, plus extra for greasing

Apples – 3 medium

Dates, halved, stoned and finely chopped – 100 gms

Eggs - 3

Self raising flour – 350 gms

Blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped – 100 gms

Ground Cinnamon – 2 tsp

Sugar – 175 gms

               

Method :

Heat oven to 180°C. Lightly butter a deep 20cm loose-based or spring form round cake in, then line the base with baking parchment.

Melt the butter by heating it and then cool it for 5 minutes. Crack the eggs into the butter and beat well. Mix the flour with the cinnamon and the sugar.

Core and cut two apples (unpeeled) into bite-size chunks. Mix the apples into the flour along with the dates and half of the chopped hazelnuts.

Pour the egg and butter mixture into the flour mixture and gently stir together. Spoon into the tin, smooth the top.

Thinly slice the remaining apple (unpeeled) into circles, discard the pips, and then arrange over the top of the cake. Sprinkle over the remaining hazelnuts.

Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until the cake is cooked and risen. Check if it is done by pushing a skewer into the centre – it should come out clean.

Remove the cake from the tin, peel off the paper and transfer the cake to a wire rack. Cool completely. Keeps for up to 3 days.