There is no shortage of apples round here right now. Every time I go out for a walk I bump into someone who asks ‘Would you like some apples?’ (not as sinister as it sounds) to which I always reply ‘Yes, why not’. Another bag full gets added to the already filled basket fulls in my kitchen and now it is pressing to turn them into things.
Apple butter has become a must have for me since I started canning. This cooked down and spiced apple puree is absolutely delicious with Greek yogurt and to have a stock of jars in the pantry ready to go is something I can’t envisage living without now. As well as that, I intend to make pie fillings, bottle juice and fill jars with mincemeat over the next week or two. Some dried apple slices would be good too. If I have time I will write how to make and bottle them as I go along but can’t promise absolutely to fulfill my good intentions.

With all these apples about, I have a yearning for an apple cake. I really want a good reliable recipe that I will remember from year to year, so set about reading lots of recipes in my search for the ultimate apple cake. I want something cakey, that I can eat with my hands but that also crosses over as a pudding. Something nice and moist with a good apple flavour. There seem to be several apple cakes that are for some reason attributed to different English counties; Dorset, Somerset, Devon apple cake etc, as well as Norwegian and Swedish apple cakes. If I could have come up with snappy name to make my own regional apple cake, I would have, but nothing sprang to mind, so this apple cake is non-region-specific.
For my first (disastrous) attempt to make an apple cake I followed a recipe from Farmhouse Fare, a really great book published in 1935, a compilation of recipes from country housewives collected by Farmers Weekly. On paper the recipe sounded just right but I think this particular country housewife had an austere attitude and the cake turned out rather dull, not what I was looking for at all. However, there is nothing like a mistake to give you a clear idea just what you want and what you need to do, so I remade the cake making it moister and more apple-y and I’m really pleased with the result.
I used Bramley apples cooked to a puree in the cake mixture and Adam’s Pearmain apple slices on the top and both varieties have a good strong tang to hold their own when cooked. I added some ground almonds to the mixture too, as they always make a cake lovely and moist. I think this recipe would work with other fruit purees as well. I’ve got some quince puree waiting to be used up so I may try another cake with that and add some chopped stem ginger as well. Feel free to improvise as you see fit.

UNSPECIFIED REGIONAL APPLE CAKE

First make the apple puree:
500g (1lb) bramley or other cooking apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
125ml (1/4 cup) of cider or water
125ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup or sugar to taste

Place the apples in a pan with the cider or water and bring to a simmer, then cook gently for around 20 minutes, until the apples become a fluffy puree when stirred with a spoon. Add the maple syrup or sugar to taste. Leave to cool. This will make slightly more than you will need, so eat the leftovers on porridge, with yogurt or to accompany your Sunday roast.

115g (4 oz) plain flour
pinch salt
2tsp baking powder
100g (3 1/2oz) butter
100g (3 1/2oz) ground almonds
75g (2 1/2 oz) brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
250g (9 oz) apple puree (see above)
2-3 apples for the topping, peeled quartered and cored
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
a knob of butter

Grease a shallow 23cm (9in) diameter cake tin and line the base with baking paper if you think the cake may stick. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F, Mk 6).
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the almonds and sugar, beaten egg and apple puree. Mix together quickly and pour into the prepared tin, smoothing the top. Chop the apple quarters once more into 1/8ths and place them on top of the mixture, starting from the centre radiating out around the circle, pressing them down lightly. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the apples then dot with butter. Bake for 30 minutes till the top is browned and the cake feels firm but still moist. Leave till cold, or just warm before serving with cream, or just on its own.