Apple & Cinnamon Cake Weekly Bake-Off

30 Oct

So, it’s time for the Weekly Bake-Off Challenge again. This week I was thrilled to hear it was Apple & Cinnamon Cake… perfect for this time of year.

I love the memories that food can evoke!

Apples at this time of year remind me of my Mum making Apple Sponge Pudding for Halloween when I was a child. She would wrap a £1 coin in greaseproof paper and bake it in the sponge. There was much excitement between my brothers and I to see who would be the lucky recipient of the £1 coin!

Cinnamon always reminds me of my Danish Grandfather’s Christmas Rice Pudding (Risalamande)!

So, a cake with apple & cinnamon makes one happy squirrel!

I made a couple of tweaks to the original recipe from Mary Berry’s 100 Cakes & Bakes. I baked my cake at a slightly lower temperature than what the recipe recommends, and for a shorter time. I also omitted the nuts (for the benefit of my lovely, nut-allergy, husband).

I was pleased with how the cake turned out. It tastes delicious, and is really lovely served warm, with a Cinnamon Mascarpone Cream.

Check out the other entrants’ submissions to the Weekly Bake-Off Challenge.

The Recipe

Ingredients

Cake

225g unsalted butter at room temperature
225g light brown muscovado sugar
3 large eggs
100g sultanas
225g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
400g cooking apples, grated
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Mascarpone Cream

250g mascarpone
142ml single cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
1tsp cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Grease and line a tin with baking parchment.

Put the butter, sugar, eggs, sultanas, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and beat until thoroughly blended.

Spoon half the mixture in to the prepared tin and level the surface.
Spread the grated apple on top.
Next sprinkle the cinnamon over the layer of grated apple.
Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and level the surface.
Sprinkle liberally with light muscovado sugar.

Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until the cake is well risen and golden brown.*

*Keep your eye on the cake during baking, you may need to cover the top with baking parchment halfway through the bake, to prevent the top from burning.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out, remove the baking parchment, and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Before serving, sprinkle with a dusting of icing sugar.

To make the Cinnamon Mascarpone Cream, simply beat together the mascarpone and cream in a mixing bowl, then sift in the icing sugar and cinnamon and mix well.

Enjoy!