Apple Cake Recipe

This is a really lovely apple cake recipe, with three variations. Alongside it, in my recipe notebook, I've written "Nice and quick to make, once you've made the apple puree".

The best idea is to make the apple sauce the day before - make a double quantity and freeze half, so you'll have it ready next time you want to use this apple cake recipe.

The fresh apple in the mixture makes it wonderfully moist and moreish. It's a great cake for packed lunches, and also makes a nice dessert, served with yogurt or custard.

APPLE CAKE RECIPE

The version given below is an Apple and Ginger Cake. For other variations, see the end of the recipe. You can also find more information and recipes on Healthy Cake Recipes.

* Make the apple puree ahead of time. Peel, core and chop cooking apples, and cook gently with a little water (but no sugar), prodding them gently from time to time with a wooden spoon until they form a mush - it doesn't have to be totally smooth. Three medium-large apples yield about 500ml (2 cups) of puree, which is double the quantity you need for the recipe.

* Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line and grease a cake pan or tin that is 18cm/7 in square.
* Sift together 175g (1.5 cups) plain/all-purpose flour, 0.25 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground ginger. Mix in 100g (0.75 cups) candied peel, chopped stem ginger, or a mixture of the two.
* In a food processor, cream 100g (0.5 cups) softened butter with 150g (1 cup) caster sugar/superfine granulated sugar. Beat two eggs, and add to the mixture gradually, processing between each addition. Finally, add 250ml (1 cup) apple puree/apple sauce and mix well.
* Add the flour mixture to the processor and blend all together. Pour cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 160C/325F/gas mark 3, and cook for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
* Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from tin and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Variations on the basic apple cake recipe

* Use cinnamon instead of ground ginger, and mix in chopped walnuts instead of candied peel and ginger.
* Add 1/2 tsp vanilla essence instead of spices, and use chopped glace cherries instead of the peel.