This is a new version of a cake that has been a favourite with my family for many years. It can be served with coffee or as a dessert and is best eaten warm.
preparation time: 15 minutes
cooking time: 1¼–1½ hours
tin needed: a deep, round, loose-bottomed 20 cm (8 in) cake tin
250 g (9 oz) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
225 g (8 oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon almond extract
150 g (5 oz) butter, melted
225 g (8 oz) cooking apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
100 g (4 oz) ready-to-eat dried apricots, snipped into pieces
25 g (1 oz) flaked almonds
1 Lightly grease the cake tin and line the base with a circle of non-stick baking parchment. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, almond extract and melted butter into a large bowl. Mix well to combine, then beat well for 1 minute; an electric mixer is best for this but of course you can also beat by hand with a wooden spoon. Add the apples and apricots to the bowl and gently mix them in.
2 Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, gently level the surface and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
3 Bake for 1–1½ hours, until the cake is golden, firm to the touch and beginning to shrink away from the side of the tin. Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out on to a plate to serve.
