Apple Crumble Loaf

It's been a while since I last blogged, I lost my baking mojo due to changing my eating habits and a desire to get fit and lose weight. I've gone back to the gym and I am loving it, I already feel so much better and seeing great results. Of course my boys have been deprived since Easter of home-baked goodies and so I decided to treat them with this Apple Crumble Loaf. Suffice to say it didn't even last 2 days, it flew off the cake plate, I guess they really did miss my baking. This moist loaf cake delivers wonderful different textures and really is like an apple crumble in cake form. It would easily make a great pudding too, served with custard or cream.

Apple Crumble Loaf

Cuts into 10 slices

Ingredients
140g butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for the tin
250g self-raising flour
2 tsp mixed spice
140g light muscovado sugar
100g raisins
3 large eggs, beaten
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped (Swap the apples, for peaches, apricots or plums when they're in season)
5 tbsp milk

For the topping:
1 rounded tbsp plain flour
25g butter
25g light muscovado sugar
1 rounded tbsp roughly chopped hazelnuts

Heat the oven 160oc/140c fan/gas 3. Butter and line the base of a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. Tip the flour and spice into a food processor and add the butter. Whizz to make fine crumbs, then mix in the sugar. Tip into a mixing bowl and stir in the raisins, eggs, apples and milk. Mix well until everything is evenly combined, then spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top.

To make the topping, rub the flour, butter and sugar through your fingers to make a rough crumble, then stir in the nuts. Sprinkle evenly over the cake mixture and bake for 50-55 mins, until firm to the touch and a fine skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.