Crisp mornings, glorious sunny days and brisk evenings; it’s autumn at Silverholme and that means apple harvest season, which in turn means glorious apple cake.
The Victorian central highlands is an apple pickers dream. Country lanes are lined with wild apple trees laden with fruit, free for the taking. Not of the quality to eat fresh from the tree, but the more sour kind; less juice and dense flesh. The perfect cooking apple.
One weekend each autumn, the boot lined with crates, we jump in the car and head out to forage our local wild apple trees.
We collect enough apples for me to bake, stew, can for pie filling and make sauce to store through the year.
If picking coincides with raising pigs we stockpile extra to treat the pigs for the coming winter months. They absolutely adore apples. Who wouldn’t?
This rather rustic apple cake is something I have in my apple desserts rotation through autumn when I have ample fruit on hand.
It is the simplest cake to make, only needing a quick stir before baking, and has the most beautifully moist crumb thanks to the fresh apples. While a reasonably long baking time gives it a crisp outer layer.
I’m always delighted when I have this Apple Cake in the oven, the home filled with the aroma of one of foods greatest pairings – apple and cinnamon.
As for how to eat this apple cake, the options are plentiful. I love it straight from the cake box, but it is wonderful as a pudding, slightly warmed and served with your choice of custard, cream or ice cream – or don’t go to the hassle of making a choice and have all three.
Whatever your decide, enjoy, as this is old fashioned baking at its simplest and finest.
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Ingredients
- 230 g self-raising flour
- 115 g caster sugar
- 4 apples (approximately 500g) cored and roughly chopped
- 1 egg
- 115 g butter softened
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
For the garnish
- 1 tsp butter melted
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°C.
- Grease and line a 21cm cake tin.
- In a large bowl add all of the ingredients and mix together until well combined and a lumpy, thick batter is formed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and gently smooth the top.
- Place in centre of the oven and bake for 1 hour, checking after 45 minutes, until the top of the cake has a crisp layer and has started turning golden.
- Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before removing from the tin and transferring the cake to a wire rack.
- While the cake is still warm brush the top with melted butter and dust with sugar and cinnamon before allowing to cool completely.
- Serve at room temperature or warmed as is or with your choice of custard, cream or ice-cream.
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