Country apple cake

This lovely apple cake is an absolutely beautiful tea-time treat to serve up to special guests – or even just yourself! The apples are so soft with a delicious natural sweetness, while the vanilla and cinnamon bring a real warmth to the flavours. Let it rest for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven and then serve up a slice with cream or custard poured over the top. It’s a truly beautiful cake that you’ll want to make time and time again.

Ingredients

• 185g butter, softened
• 165 g (¾ cup) caster sugar plus 75 g (⅓ cup) extra
• 2 tsp natural vanilla essence or extract
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 185 g (1¼ cups) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 5 (about 800 g in total) apples (such as pink lady or royal gala), peeled, cored and each cut into 16 wedges

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush the base and sides of a 22 cm (base measurement) springform tin with melted butter and line the base with non-stick baking paper.

2. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.

3. Combine the extra 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Spread half the cake batter over the base of the prepared tin. Arrange half the apples over the batter and then sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the remaining cake batter, apples and cinnamon sugar.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer, covering with a piece of foil in the last 15 minutes of baking if the cake is browning too quickly. Stand in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with thick cream or vanilla ice cream.

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