As the nights draw in earlier and the temperatures begin to drop, I always look forward cooking hearty, warm and cosy meals for my family. There is something quite comforting about the aroma of a slow cooked stew, or buttery mash potatoes and the sweetness of hot cooked fruit in a crumble.
With baking, autumn brings the opportunity to use up the glut of seasonal fruit such as apples, pears, blackberries and plums and to use flavours such as ginger, mixed spice, and salted caramel for warmth and richness.
Here is one of our favourites autumnal recipes for you to enjoy-
Spiced apple cake
This a lovely cake, which can also be served warm as a pudding, with fresh cream or custard
Makes a 20 x 30 cm cake
Ingredients
For the topping:
3 tablespoons soft light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons plain flour
55g butter, melted
4 dessert apples, peeled, quartered, cored and cut into slices.
For the cake:
170g butter, softened
170g caster sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
225g self raising flour
1- 2 tablespoons milk
Method
- Heat the oven to 160C. grease and line the base of a 20 x 30cm tin with a piece of baking parchment cut to fit.
- Make the topping. In a small bowl mix the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour together. Add the melted butter and mix well. Scatter the mixture over the apples and mix together.
- Cream the nutter and sugar together until they are pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the vanilla essence.
- Fold in the flour and add enough milk to make a reluctant dropping consistency.
- Spread the cake mixture into the prepared tin and cover with the prepared apples. Press down lightly.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the apples have softened and the cake is cooked.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin before turning out.
