Actually cake is a bit of a misnomer, this is more a pudding that you can hold. We mostly make it in the Autumn when there’s always tons of windfall apples lying around. It should end up moist and just a tad crumbly with an almost scone texture but as long as it’s nice and appley who cares!

You’ll Need…

• 225g apples, peeled, cored and chopped (any apples will do – windfalls are great for this)
• 75g currants or raisins or whatever’s in the cupboard (Optional but hell, chuck it all in!)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 225g plain flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 115g butter – diced
• 165g soft light brown sugar
• 2 eggs beaten

Now Do This…

• Preheat the oven to 160°C.
• Grease and line a 7-8 inch round cake tin or we sometimes use a loaf tin (lined with baking paper so that we can retrieve the cake!)
• Toss the apple and dry fruit with the lemon juice and set aside.
• Sift the flour and baking powder and half of the spices together, then rub in the butter, until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
• Stir 115g of the sugar, the apple and the eggs, mix well (if it gets too thick thin with a little milk – very gradually).
• Now transfer into your tin and smooth the top with the back of a metal spoon (a wet spoon might be easier).
• In a bowl, mix the remaining sugar and spices, sprinkle over the cake mix.
• Cover loosely with greaseproof paper and bake in the preheated oven for approximately an hour, until golden on top (may be longer or shorter depending on your oven – it’s 30 mins different on the boat to at home!)
• Leave in the tin for a 5-10 mins, then remove and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight tin. Should freeze ok – but ours never last that long!

As soon as it’s cool enough to hold, tuck in. Then start making another one ‘cos the first won’t last!

Enjoy…