Apple and blueberry cake

Apples and blueberries in one cake?  That’s two of your five a day in one simple slice* Plus think of all those calories you’ll burn pouring the cream over the cake, lifting weights (ok, the spoon) and chewing.  It’s the cake for anyone on a January health-kick*

We had the cake warm, but not hot, from the oven with pouring cream and it was lovely.  The apples had a little tartness and the sugar sprinkled on top of them had crunch which gave many lovely textures while eating.

Mr CC is not a fan where fruit is baked in a sponge and makes it squidgy.  He liked this because the sponge remained crumbly as the fruit sits on top.  He’s not normally at home when I bake and the smell of this straight from the oven was too tempting for him....hence us eating it warm!

The weather is grim at the moment – grey, dark and mostly wet.  I know we’re getting off lightly compared to other parts of the country, and indeed other countries, but there was something cheering about this cake.  It was quick to make, colourful and flavoursome.  I’m not sure cakes can have personalities but if they could this one would be saying ‘hey, it’s not so bad – spring will soon be here’....and ‘eat me’.  All cakes say ‘eat me’.  It’s the law*

*May not actually be true (sadly)

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
165g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
225g self raising flour
125ml milk
1-2 eating apples, depending on size, peeled, cored and cut into slices
125g blueberries
2 tablespoons Demerara sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Line a 20cm round springform tin with baking paper.

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and pale – it won’t go as whippy as some other mixes because of the ratios.

Beat in the vanilla.

Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Stir in the flour and milk until the batter is just combined – don’t over beat it.

Spoon into the prepared cake tin and level the surface.

Arrange the apple slices on top and then scatter the blueberries over the apple.

Sprinkle the Demerara sugar over the top.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Best check the cake after 40 minutes and, if it’s browning too quickly, cover the top loosely with foil.

Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack until it is cool enough to de-tin.

Leave to cool completely or serve warm.

Serve either warm for dessert with ice cream, or at room temperature with cream.

Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.

Eat.