blueberry & apple slice

Makes 8 slices

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking time 45 minutes

225 g (7½ oz) self-raising flour

125 g (4 oz) firm lightly salted butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing

175 g (6 oz) caster sugar

2 eggs

4 tablespoons milk

2 crisp dessert apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

125 g (4 oz) blueberries

vanilla sugar, for sprinkling

Grease a large loaf tin that will fit on the lower rack of the halogen oven. Line the bottom and long sides with a strip of greaseproof paper. Grease the paper.

Put the flour and butter in a food processor. Process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, eggs and milk and process to a dough.

Spread half the cake mixture into the loaf tin and scatter with half the apples and blueberries. Spread the remaining cake mixture over the top, then scatter with the remaining fruits. Place on the lower rack of the halogen oven.

Set the temperature to 200°C (392°F) and cook for about 45 minutes, covering with foil if the surface starts to brown too much, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a plate or board. Sprinke with vanilla sugar and serve warm, in slices, with clotted cream.

For lemon & raspberry slice, prepare the loaf tin and sponge cake as above, omitting the apples and blueberries, and adding the finely grated rind of 1 lemon. Bake as above. Once cool, split the cake in half horizontally. Whip 150 ml (¼ pint) double cream until peaks form and spread over the lower half of the cake. Drizzle with 75 ml (3 fl oz) lemon curd and scatter with 200 g (7 oz) raspberries. Position the second cake layer on top and dust generously with icing sugar.