Ingredients
- 5 small Bramley apples (around 650g/1lb 7oz)
- good squeeze lemon juice
- 300g (10oz) plain flour
- 1½tsp baking powder
- ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 200g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 175g (6oz) golden caster sugar
- 3 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 150g (5oz) clotted cream
- 3tbsp apricot jam
- you will need
- 1.4kg (3lb) loaf tin, greased and the base and sides lined with baking parchment
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 170C, 150C fan, gas 3. Thinly slice enough apple to cover the top of the cake - around one and a half. Toss in the lemon juice and set aside. Peel, core and roughly chop the remaining apples, and heat in a heavy-based saucepan with 1tbsp water for 5 minutes or until softened slightly. Set aside to cool.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Fold in the sifted flour mixture, then, when almost combined, fold in the cooked apple and clotted cream until mixed well. Pour into the tin and level with a spatula. Arrange the reserved apple slices evenly on top and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until cooked through. Once the cake has cooled, heat the jam in a small saucepan, then brush all over the top.
