ADAPT October recipe – Apples!

It was my turn to supply a recipe using available produce this month when we had an ADAPT food group meeting. This cake was served courtesy of Christine Knibbs who adapted a Mary Berry recipe. It was too good not to pass on the recipe to the readers:

Spiced Dorset Apple Traybake

As well as being a good coffee- or tea-time cake, this makes a comforting pudding, served warm with clotted cream or creme fraiche. I often make it in
the Autumn, when I have a glut of apples.

Serves 12, cooking time 40 minutes.

Ingredients:
225g (8oz) butter (room temperature), plus extra for greasing
550g (1.25lb) cooking apples, such as Bramley
225g (8oz) light muscovado sugar
300g (10oz) self-raising flour mix of w/w and white
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
l tbsp full milk
juice half lemon
icing sugar to dust – optional

Special Equipment:
Tray bake tin, 30 x 23cm (12 x 9in) and 4cm (1 in) deep

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C (fan 160 deg C/350 deg F/Gas 4). line tin with baking parchment. Quarter, peel, core, and thinly slice the apples, and put them in a shallow dish. pour over the lemon juice and toss gently together. see below, soft, juicy apples).
2. Put the butter, muscovado sugar, flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, the eggs, and milk in a large bowl. Beat thoroughly using an electric hand whisk or mixer for about 2 minutes) until smooth and light.
3. Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly. Lay half the apple slices on top and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon ( more if you like). Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and carefully level the surface. Scatter the rest of the apple slices over the cake mixture and press them lightly into the surface. (See below, Defined layers.)
4. Bake for 40 minutes or until well risen and golden brown on top. The cake will feel spongy but firm, and will be starting to come away slightly from the edges of the tin. Also, the apples should be soft. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from tin, peel off the parchment paper, and leave to cool on a wire rack. Sift icing sugar over the top of the cake.

KEYS TO PERFECTION
1. Soft, juicy apples
It's important to slice the apples very thinly. lf they're too thick, they won't soften enough when baked. Tossing them in lemon juice helps stop them from turning too brown, as well as giving flavour and extra juiciness.
2. Defined layers When spreading the second half of the cake mixture over the apples and cinnamon, do so gently using a palette knife to ensure the apple slices beneath aren't disturbed, thus retaining the layered effect. Spread the apples evenly over the cake mixture and lightly press them in. you don't need to be too neat when layering the apples; in fact,the top looks more interesting if you scatter over the apples in a random direction.

Slice up and enjoy it!

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