Friday 12 September 2008

Blackberry and Apple Cake

Blackberry and Apple is a classic autumn combo of flavours and one you normally use in crumbles or cakes but today I’ve combined these flavours and different textures into one heavenly autumnal cake! This great recipe is by one of my favourite food writers, Nigel Slater and if you’ve never tried his recipes, this is the perfect one to start with. This cake delivers a moist almond based sponge, a layer of juicy fruits and a layer of buttery crunchy crumble! I will definitely be making this cake again and it would also make a mouth-watering pudding, with lashings of hot custard of course.


Blackberry and Apple Cake

Serves 8-10

For Cake:
150g softened butter
150g caster sugar
3 large eggs
75g plain flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
110g ground almonds
1 large dessert apple
150g blackberries

For Crumble:
100g cold butter
100g plain flour
110g demerara sugar
2 tbsps whole rolled oats
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
icing sugar for dusting (optional)

Grease a 20cm loose-bottomed springform cake tin, 6cm deep and line with baking parchment.

Preheat oven to 180oC/fan oven 160oC/gas 5.

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly with a fork, then add them bit by bit to the butter and sugar. If it appears to curdle, add a little flour. Mix the flour and baking powder together, and fold the flour into the butter mixture with a metal spoon, followed by the ground almonds. Spoon the batter into the cake tin and smooth the top. Core and quarter the apple then cut it into thin slices. Push the slices gently into the top of the cake. Tip the blackberries over the top. For crumble, rub the butter into the flour, then stir in the sugar, oats and cinnamon. Scatter the mixture over the top of the cake. Bake for 1 hour, and then push a skewer into the centre. It will come out slightly wet from the fruit, but should have no cake mixture on it. Leave to cool, then dust with icing sugar.


17 comments:

Finla said...

Give me more that a piece, they look absloutley delicious

Maggie said...

You've done 'Nige' proud on this one!

Bea Roque said...

Hi Maria!!! I was just thinking of using some blackberries I have in the freezer in a cake....and you just gave me an excellent idea!!! It looks delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe. B

anudivya said...

Lovely cake, looks just rightly moist... good job girl!

Anna's kitchen table said...

Oh, yum! I love Nigel's books and recipes too.

Gigi said...

I just want to eat all the "crumbles" on top of the cake! Maria this cake looks delightful!

Sweet Treats by Dani said...

simple perfection :)

Emily Rose said...

This looks wonderful! I'm always looking for ways to use blackberries in things besides cobblers and pies. thank you for the lovely recipe!

Anonymous said...

This looks utterly fabulous Maria. Great job!

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

Delicious looking! I like the addition of ground almonds in the cake.

Anonymous said...

Hi Maria! Thanks for your comment on my blog :) This crumble cake looks fantastic. I find crumble cakes are fantastic at Sunday lunches as they can hang around for far longer than an actual crumble and still taste great. Lashings of custard are necessary of course!

Ivy said...

What a delicious cake. Although I have a few technical problems :) (no blackberries) making it, I have bookmarked it.

Maria said...

I love the berry and apple combo! Looks like a great cake.

Oh my! Apple pie! said...

A perfect combination,and Nigel's recipes are always spot on.

Beth (jamandcream) said...

Ive just been picking balckberries!! Thies looks lovely and moist

Maria♥ said...

Thanks everyone ;o)

Maria
x

Thinking About Food said...

Phwoar Maria! That is my kind of cake, looks absolutely delicious!!!