Dorset apple cake

There are lots of recipes for Dorset apple cake around. Having tried a few, I’ve settled on this one.

This lovely cake is surprisingly light, fresh and lemony. I always make it with Bramley apples, liking their tartness and they way they become so fluffy when cooked. Plus we have a tree in the garden…

Dorset apple cake
(serves 8)

• 450g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm pieces
• juice and zest of a lemon
• 225g butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
• 3 large eggs
• 225g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 25g ground almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and line a 23cm cake tin.
2. Toss the apple pieces in the lemon juice and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a teaspoon of flour after each egg to keep the mixture smooth.
4. Mix in the rest of the flour and the baking powder.
5. Fold in the ground almonds. Drain the apple pieces and fold them in to the batter.
6. Spoon the batter into the cake tin and level the top. Sprinkle with caster sugar.
7. Bake for about an hour until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the pan. Sprinkle the top with additional caster sugar before serving.

Tags: apples, cake, fruit, lemons, vegetarian