Delia's Chunky Apple Cake

Apples are superb in cakes, so in the autumn when there are lots of windfalls around, why not make a few of these and freeze them.

Serves: 8-12

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Source: YOU magazine 24Feb2013

Ingredients:

225g self-raising flour

1 rounded teaspoon baking powder

1level teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 level teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 Bramley apples (about 550g)

2 large eggs, beaten

75g spreadable butter

175g light brown soft sugar

grated zest of 1 large orange

1 tablespoon chopped mixed peel

1 tablespoon milk (if needed)

a little icing sugar

Method:

A 20cm loose-based round tin, buttered and base lined.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4

Begin by sifting the flour, baking powder and spices into a roomy mixing bowl, lifting the sieve quite high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down. Next chop the apples into small dice (with or without peel, just as you like). Then place them in a bowl and toss them with one tablespoon of the sieved flour mixture.

Then add the eggs, butter and sugar to the rest of the flour and, using an electric hand whisk, combine them for about I minute until you have a smooth, creamy consistency. After that fold in the grated orange zest, mixed peel and diced apple.

If the mixture seems a little dry, add a tablespoon of milk. Now spoon the cake mix into the prepared tin and level it off with the back of a spoon. Then bake near the centre of the oven for about one hour or until the cake feels springy in the centre when lightly pressed with a fingertip and just shows signs of shrinking away from the edge of the tin. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. This looks nice dusted with sifted icing sugar just before serving. Store in an airtight tin.