AFTERNOON SPICED APPLE CAKE

Lately it has been so chilly and the rain drizzles all day and night. Now I do love a proper winter but with a very enthusiastic 3 year old these endless rainy days can prove to be quite tedious. We have made playdough, puzzled our way though every jigsaw for 3-4 year olds, crafted, finger painted, knitted, weaved and played My Little Pony make believe time for what feels like an eternity. (The actress in me has gone a bit too far in the character development of Nightmare Moon aka Princess Luna.) The only thing to lure Clémentine away from playing with the ponies is baking!

We decided on an apple cake as I lurrrrrves me an apple cake and Clémentine lurrrrrves chomping on apples! Eating a warm slice of this with a hot steaming cupp is my kind of afternoon tea heaven! This cake is SO EASY to make, it is a melt and mix type AND it is done in 30-35 minutes which makes it perfect for a last minute bake. So pop on the oven (which will assist in warming up the house) and start chopping those apples!  The spices used are the usual suspects of cinnamon and nutmeg. Initially I wanted to use ground ginger but I didn't have any in the pantry but I will be baking this again on the weekend for the in laws and am considering replacing the nutmeg with ginger and perhaps adding a gingery oat crumble on top for extra yumminess. The apples could be replaced for pears or even berries or actually any fruit I suppose!

SPICED APPLE CAKE

recipe adapted from Donna Hay

3 apples ( we used gala), cored and chopped
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/4 cups plain flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup raw caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
3/4 milk
125 grams butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon and sugar to dust cake with

Preheat oven to 180C deg
Grease a 24cm round cake tin and line with baking paper.
In a medium sized bowl add the chopped apples and 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, mix well and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients including the reserved cinnamon leaving  a well in the middle.
Crack the eggs into the centre of the bowl, pour in the milk, butter and vanilla extract and mix well.
Scatter half of the apples into the cake tin and pour the batter on top.
Scatter the rest of the apples and finish with a generous sprinkle of both cinnamon and sugar.
Bake in oven for 30-35 mins.
Cake is cooked when it is lightly golden and a skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.
Cool cake in tin for 10 mins then cut into wedges and serve warm with a dollop of cream, yogurt or as is with a steaming cuppa.