Country-style apple and almond cake

When it comes to country-style cooking it’s hard to go past a scrumptious apple and almond cake. This classic cake is full of all the delicious flavours you’d expect from a proper country kitchen, with green apples, vanilla, mixed spice, butter and sugar coming together for tea-time perfection. Once baked, the top of the cake is perfectly crunchy and sweet thanks to the almonds and apple slices, while the sponge is the perfect balance of moist yet light. Sprinkle a little icing sugar on top before serving and dish up with a side of thickened cream. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 320g granny smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour, sifted
• 2 tsp baking powder, sifted
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 125g unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds, chopped
• Icing sugar, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. In a bowl, combine apples and one tablespoon of the sugar. Toss. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine remaining sugar, flour, baking powder, mixed spice, vanilla, eggs and butter. Mix well. Fold in half the apples.
3. Line a 20cm non-stick cake tin with baking paper. Spoon mixture in and spread evenly. Lay the remaining apples on top and sprinkle almonds. Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes. Test if cooked with a skewer. Leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes. Remove from tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust well with icing sugar. Serve.