Apple, cider & sultana cake

This is my second version of this cake. That blogpost was over 2 years ago, gosh! I think my photos have come a long way since then.

I decided to make this cake because I had some apples and cider left from when I went apple picking the other week.  I wrapped the apples up in newspaper and put them in my shed and they have kept fine for nearly a month! Bramley apples are my favourite ever apples for baking with. I always sprinkle them with brown sugar and cinnamon before adding them to anything. The cider I used is pressed on the farm that I picked the apples from. So it's a rather locally sourced cake!

Hmm look at those plump sultanas! This cake involves soaking the sultanas overnight in the cider so that they plump up all nice and fat. The cider doesn't completely soak in so the rest of it is added to the cake to make it all lovely and appley and moist. Hmmm. 

Here is the recipe, you should all try it because it is so easy but so tasty and perfect for autumn. 

Ingredients

225g sultanas

150ml cider 

125g butter, softened

125g soft brown sugar (dark or light really)

2 large eggs, beaten

225g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

2 bramley apples, peeled, cored & thinly sliced

Method

1. Put the sultanas in a non-metallic bowl with the cider. Cover and leave overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 (180c). Grease a 9 inch round cake tin. Put the butter in a bowl with the sugar and whisk with an electric whisk until fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs until incorporated.

3. Sift in the flour, mixed spice and baking powder and fold in gently. Add the sultanas and any cider that hasn't been absorbed and mix.

4. Pour into the tin and level with the back of a spoon. Mix the apple slices with some cinnamon and dark sugar and then arrange the apple slices over the top of the batter and bake for about an hour. Leave to cool in the tin slightly, then turn out onto a wire rack before serving. Enjoy! (I like mine with custard nom)