Mrs Brays Apple Cake from Wadebridge

How many times I’ve made plans to bake something and my list seems endless with pieces of paper placed inside books, magazines, to try out at a later date. Well I have to say this recipe I have baked today has been bookmarked for approximately 20 years *gasp* *shock*, ever since buying a little book called “Favourite Cornish Recipes by June Kittow” on holiday in Cornwall over 20 years ago and printed in imperial measures! Thanks to Ruth at Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments who jolted me to seek out this recipe for her wonderful Bookmarked Recipes Event. Ruth posts a roundup of all entries for this event each Monday on her blog.

I digress back to Mrs Brays apple cake, this is such a simple bake to make and more like a fruit scone than a cake when baked in my opinion. It also has the advantage of not having to roll out any dough like with scones. Additional slices of apples are placed on top of the cake mixture then sprinkled over with sugar and cinnamon, which makes for one very gorgeous tasting cake. I slightly adapted the recipe by adding a little apple brandy to the cake mixture to enhance the flavour but this is purely optional. It may look a little plain but don’t be put off by the visual effect because served with a little clotted cream and fresh fruit, makes the whole experience of eating this cake a true delight!

Mrs Brays Apple Cake from Wadebridge

Ingredients
175g (6 oz) self raising flour
75g (3 oz) unsalted butter
75g (3 oz) sultanas
Pinch of salt
75g (3 oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cooking apple
1 tsp granulated sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 -2 tbsp apple brandy (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Grease a 20cm (8 in) sponge tin.

Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and add the butter rubbing in with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sultanas and the caster sugar and mix through with your fingertips. Add the eggs and mix all the ingredients together then if using a apple brandy and mix through evenly. Place the mixture into the prepared sponge tin and smooth the surface level. Peel and core the apple into slices and place gently on top of the cake mixture. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the whole top of the cake. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Serve hot or cold with clotted cream and a little fresh fruit.

Note: the recipe I have adapted by adding apple brandy and using unsalted butter instead of margarine.