Juneathon Day 11: Cake and Run

Another day, another run and…
… another cake.

This time it’s American Apple and Apricot cake. Or it would be, if I had any apricots left in the Chook House.

Instead, I had to make do with sultanas. Still, it’s a truly delicious and simple cake from my favourite cookbook Mary Berry’s “Baking Bible”. And yet, it looks good enough to serve as a special dessert warm from the oven and with a little whipped cream on the side.

The teens didn’t wait about for the whipped cream, however. Instead, the cake was swiftly demolished in a cut and run approach. I have to confess to being part of that attack myself. And hmmm, I enjoyed every bite.

Here’s hoping I worked off all that damage with my three mile trot this evening.

Mary Berry’s American Apple and Apricot Cake

250g (9oz) self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
225g(8oz) caster sugar
2 large eggs
150g(5oz) butter, melted
1/2 tsp almond extract
225g(8oz) cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced thickly
100g(4oz) dried apricots, snipped into pieces( I used sultantas instead)
25g(1oz) flaked almonds –

1.Pre-heat the oven at 160c / fan 140c / gas 3
2.Grease a 20cm(8inch) round loose bottomed cake tin and line with baking parchment
3.Measure the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, almond extract and melted butter into a large bowl. Mix well to combine then beat for 1 minute. Add the apples and apricots to the bowl and gently mix with a spoon
4.Spoon the mix into the prepared tin, gently level the surface and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake for 1-1.5 hour, until the cake is golden and firm to the touch
5.Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out, peel of the parchment and put on a plate to serve.

Juneathon Day Ten: 3.00 miles
Juneathon Mileage 38.14 miles