These are ideal for “bring a plate” events as they look stunning on a platter. Lovely served warm with cream and a really good cup of tea. Made with loose tea leaves…in a pot…served in proper china cups with saucers – you know what I’m talking about!
I baked this recipe in a mini loaf tin with eight holes. You can also bake it in a large round tin, will take ten minutes longer to cook.
Ingredients
Optional
Whipped Cream, Vanilla Custard or Ice Cream to serve
Topping
1 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Apple (use a sweet variety like Pink Lady or Royal Gala)
Cake
180g Unsalted Butter (at room temperature, cubed)
2/3 cups Caster Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Eggs (always use eggs at room temperature when baking)
1 cup Almond Meal
1 cup Self-Raising Flour
1/3 cup Full Cream Milk
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 170 degrees centigrade. Brush the mini loaf pan with melted butter, and place a rectangle of baking paper in each base.
Topping
Step 2
Mix the 1 TBSP butter + 2 TBSP brown sugar until roughly combined, place a blob into each loaf pan in the centre.
Cut wedges from sides of apples, then slice thinly to make semi circle pieces.
Place 3-4 pieces in each pan, on top of the butter/sugar blob. Press them down.
*if you have extra apple pieces, finely dice them and add to the batter in step 6.
Cake
Step 3
Using your electric mixer, beat together the butter, caster sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. This will take 5 to 7 minutes, keep scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Step 4
Add the eggs, one at a time – keep the mixer running and beat the mixture for at least half a minute between eggs. Keep scraping the bowl.
Step 5
Slow the mixer right down, and tip in the Almond Meal
Cake
Step 6
With the mixer still running on slow, alternate adding flour and milk. Tip in half the flour, then half the milk – repeat.
Once added increase the speed to Medium just for a minute, scrape the bowl as you go.
Step 7
Spoon the batter into each loaf pan, filling to 1cm below the top. Smooth over and push it down.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, check with a skewer.
If you have extra batter, you can cook it in a small ramekin or casserole dish (Hint:put a spoon of rasperry jam or golden syrup in the bottom first)