apple cake

Wire cooling rack here

This is an Anna del Conté recipe and by far my favourite apple cake. Our own apple tree hasn't done very well this year. (Miri - we're waiting for you to come and prune it!) There are wild apple trees in the hedgerows and despite the random (somewhat brutal) pruning by the municipal employee they seem to be just fine and are covered in classic Snow White apples!

Don't be alarmed by the use of olive oil and do be sure to use the mix of plain and wholemeal flours - all plain just wouldn't have the same flavour.

Anna del Conté's Apple and Olive Oil Cake

120g sultanas or raisins

Tea (enough to cover the dried fruit)

500g apples - peeled, cored and chopped

150ml light olive oil

200g sugar

2 eggs

175g plain white flour

175g plain wholemeal flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Heat the oven to 180º (mine is a fan oven) and grease and line the bottom of an 8 inch (20cm) cake tin (preferably with a removable base).

Start by soaking the sultanas/raisins in hot tea.

Whisk the oil and sugar till light. Add the eggs and continue whisking. Sift the flours and other dry ingredients together and add gradually to the wet mix.  Mix to a stiff batter with a metal spoon. 

Drain the sultanas/raisins and add to the mix. Add the apple. It's a stiff batter don't fret.

Spoon into your cake tin and bake for about an hour or until a knife comes out clean. Cover with baking parchment for the second half hour. Allow to cool in the tin for 10  minutes or so and then transfer to a wire rack.

Keeps very well for a few days.