Dorset apple cake

A classic British Dorset apple cake with a cup of tea on a cool autumn day is hard to beat. This simple recipe is full of warming spices and tangy apple, dusted with crunchy demerara sugar. Delicious!

Ingredients

• 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 75g/2½oz caster sugar
• 75g/2½oz soft light brown sugar
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp fine salt, plus a pinch
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 free-range eggs
• 175g/6oz plain flour
• 35g/1¼oz wholemeal flour (or wholemeal spelt flour)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 medium Bramley apples, cored, peeled and cut into 1cm pieces
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 15g/½oz demerara sugar

Method for Dorset apple cake

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Grease and line a 20cm/8in cake tin with baking paper.

2. Beat the butter, caster sugar, light brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract together in a stand mixer with paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Mix the flours, baking powder and a pinch of salt together in a separate bowl, then gradually mix into the butter, sugar and egg mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon, stirring well to make sure there are no pockets of flour.

4. Mix the apple pieces together with the cornflour until well coated, then combine with the cake mixture.

5. Tip the cake mixture into the prepared tin and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin before serving with a cup of tea or a drizzle of cream.

Dorset apple cake