2nd to 8th February 2014 is Bramley apple week, and we’d like to celebrate this brilliant fruit. Apple is a perfect ingredient for cakes, as it keeps the consistency moist and adds a slightly sharp flavour that helps combat too much sweetness.
This delicious apple cake with its rich, crumbly topping is the perfect partner for your mid-morning coffee break – serve with a large mug of your favourite coffee, made from freshly roasted coffee beans.
You’ll need:
For the cake
For the topping
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease and base line a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin.
Peel and core the apples, and cut into thin slices. In a large bowl, beat the butter or margarine and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then gradually add the eggs, beating between each addition. Stir in the soured cream or creme fraiche, then fold in the flour until you have a smooth batter.
In a separate bowl, prepare the crumble mixture. Melt the butter for a few seconds in the microwave, then rub in the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the brown sugar and almonds.
Spoon half the cake mixture into the cake tin, smoothing it out over the bottom of the tin with a spoon. Layer the Bramley apples over, as evenly as possible, then scatter over a third of the crumble mixture. Add the final layer of cake mixture, then top with the rest of the crumble mix.
Transfer the tin to the over, and bake for around an hour until the cake is cooked all the way through. Allow it to cool in the tin for a few minutes which you put the coffee pot on, then serve warm in wedges.
For a range of great quality coffee beans at wholesale prices, please visit our coffee beans page.