Is it apple time or what??? I can see them on trees and even worse, squashed on the road side and I think its now a hindrance more than a 'pretty sight'. Last year we went to an apple orchard, well it was actually a cider tasting trip, and honestly, I've never seen so many apples in my life!!! If you don't believe me, take a look at these...
We were done eating so many varieties of apples, not to mention the amount of cider we drank:)
I have never made an apple pie or strudel or galette or anything because we get so many yummliscious pies at the super market...pop it in the oven for 15 mins and there you have amazing hot pie, with custard and cream on the side. It was a fav of ours when we had just moved to UK...and Pub lunches are never ever complete without apple pie and custard. Also, I'm very wary when it comes to working with dough, which has actually put me off pies and tarts. The next best thing to make with apple was a cake and that, I'm always game to do. So a spiced apple cake it was and boy it came out super duper moist and majestic with bits of apple slices and the cinnamon-nutmeg-clove flavour nicely blended in. So here is another dessert or tea time snack to welcome Autumn.
All purpose flour- 200 gms
Baking powder- 1/2 tsp
Baking soda- 1/2 tsp
Salt- a pinch
Cinnamon powder- 1/2 tsp
Ground cloves- a pinch
Ground nutmeg- a pinch
Granulated Sugar- 100 gms
Brown sugar- 50 gms
Butter- 45 gms
Egg- 1 large
Vanilla extract- 1/2 tsp
Bramley apple- 1 cup, cored, peeled and diced
Apple sauce- 3/4 cup
In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients. Keep aside.
In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars (brown and white) with a hand held electric mixer or using a whisk till light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix again till well combined.
Now fold in the dry ingredients, alternating with the apple sauce*..starting and ending with the flour mix.
Fold in the diced apples as well.
Get a loaf pan ready, do the buttering, lining and the works and pour the batter into it. Its not really runny, so you'd have to smoothen it out to the edges a bit.
Pop it into an oven pre heated at 180C and bake for about 1 hr or till a skewer comes out clean.
Take it out and after about 5 mins, insert on to a cooling rack.
Serve with a dab of vanilla ice cream.
Notes: *Now I didn't have apple sauce and I wasn't really in the mood to make it, so used flavourless oil instead...super moist it turned out to be.
Bramley apples can be substituted with Granny Smith if you prefer that
I used self raising flour, so omitted the soda bicarb.
You can make the same in muffin cases as well..you'd probably yield about 12.
