It feels like ages since I last baked a chocolate cake and this cake is one of our all time favourites. I have blogged this cake before and personally I don’t see anything wrong in making your favourites and blogging them again. The sponge is beautifully moist due to the chunks of apple and the butter cream icing is just heavenly. I did however make the cake in a round tin this time and couldn’t wait to use the gorgeous pink chocolate drops that I acquired at the BBC Good Food Show in London last Sunday! It was my first time at one of the shows and hubby and I had a fantastic time, bought lots of lovely goodies, and watched Annabel Karmel doing a live show and bake her edible Christmas Cookies. The highlight of the day had to be meeting the dreamy James Martin (his even better looking in person) who signed my book! I would have loved to have seen and met my idol Nigella Lawson but her live show was sold out, however I am sure there will be other opportunities and other shows and if you’ve never been to one of the Good Food Shows, I would definitely recommend it. It’s a great day out!
Chocolate & Apple CakeIngredients
250g (9oz) Plain Flour
25g (1oz) Cocoa
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Bicarbonate of soda
100g (4oz) Butter
250g (9oz) Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
A few drops of Vanilla Extract
175 ml. (6fl oz) Milk
2 Cooking Apples or Eating Apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped or grated
250g (9oz) Plain Flour
25g (1oz) Cocoa
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Bicarbonate of soda
100g (4oz) Butter
250g (9oz) Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
A few drops of Vanilla Extract
175 ml. (6fl oz) Milk
2 Cooking Apples or Eating Apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped or grated
Icing
450g (1lb) icing sugar, sifted
25g (1oz) Cocoa
50g (2oz) Butter, softened
90ml. (3fl oz) Milk
25g (1oz) Cocoa
50g (2oz) Butter, softened
90ml. (3fl oz) Milk
Preheat oven to 180/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm (8 in) square or round cake tin. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate. Put the sugar and butter into a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla extract. Whisk in the flour mixture and lastly add the chopped apples and milk. Spoon into tin and bake for 1 hour or till cooked...When cake is cold, make icing by beating all ingredients together, spread over cake and make a swirly pattern and pop on some chocolate drops.
Serves: 12
Love the pink drops. You went to the BBC food show, i would love to do that too.
ReplyDeleteCake looks yumm. It doesn't matter if the cake os blogged before, now you changed by adding the pink drops on them ;-)
I love pink! The drops are adorable and I am sure the chocolate is mmmm good!
ReplyDeleteI am jealous of both the cake and you meeting James Martin! The cake looks delicious, the one I made today is a bit dry! James Martin is delicious too and I missed the food show when it was in glasgow :(
ReplyDeleteIm meant to be meeting him next week at the NEC but not sure if I can go now due to work!!! Argh
ReplyDeleteCake looks fab, love the pink buttons
Wow, this looks so beautiful. Although I don't know who James Martin is, it sure is exciting when you get to meet someone who is famous.
ReplyDeleteI have tagged you for a very good cause. Hope you can join me in The Worldwide Blogger Bake Off Challenge.
http://kopiaste.org/2008/11/no-knead-anise-and-sultana-whole-wheat-rolls/
I love this cake, the pink drops just make me smile.
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous that you met James Martin!!! He sure is loverly!
Your cake looks so pretty. And very chocolatey, yum! I'm not sure who James Martin is but I'm going to go look him up so I can see how cute he is!
ReplyDeleteJealous,jealous,jealous!!! I saw Gordon Ramsay at the Glasgow show a few weeks back, I couldnt make James' slot, gutted, I love him,lol.
ReplyDeleteI love the pink choc drops, very girly.
Maria your cake is gorgeous, really cute and girlie - I love it! I'm glad you had a great time at the Good Food Show. I'm a big fan of James Martin too, such a lovely guy. xxx
ReplyDeleteMaria that cake looks just gorgeous! I remember making this the first time I saw it on your blog. I'm glad you had a good time at the Good Food show, and how lucky you were to meet the lovely James Martin! x
ReplyDeleteMaria, you lucky girl, meeting that gawjuz hunk.
ReplyDeleteLove this pink cake too.
There's an award over on my blog for you. Do go and collect. Yes, it's pink!
You make the best cakes.
ReplyDeleteYou should be the Cake Goddess.
Hi Maria
ReplyDeletesimple and so good....i am impressed by your varieties of cakes.
So glad you cut that cake so we'd have a peek inside. It looks so luscious and moist. xxx
ReplyDeleteLove the pink drops! I am going to the birmingham show later this week so will try and get some!
ReplyDeleteCake looks so yummy and moist :)
That looks fabulous Maria! I'm off to the B'ham show later this week and will look out for the chocolate drops.
ReplyDeleteMaria, there's an Award for you on my blog.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and very pretty cake.
ReplyDeletePleased you had a wonderful time at the GFShow.
Hi Maria, lovely to read about your day out at the food show :) Oh James Martin such eye candy lol...
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favourite cakes as you know but I adore those pink drops on your cake and also it being round instead of square - well done sweetie :)
Rosie x
Hi Maria
ReplyDeleteDo you know which company the pink drops came from? We searched high and low at Birmingham show yesterday but couldn't find them? (You would have laughed, there was like 7 of us all hunting!!)
Isn't James quite lovely! I forgot my name when he signed my book!!
Anne
x
Hi Anne
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you couldn't get hold of the pink drops ;o( but glad you also got to meet James Martin ;o)
Here is the company that do the pink drops: http://thechocolatechef.co.uk//index.php
Maria
x
Many thanks for the link Maria, I am now drooling, cappuchino buttons sound sooo good!
ReplyDeletex
This sounds like a delicious combination - and I love the pink dots!!
ReplyDelete