Apple cake is a popular dessert produced with the main ingredient of apples. Such a cake is made through the process of slicing this sweet fruit to add fragrance to a plain cake base. Traditional apple cakes go a step further by including various spices such as nutmeg or cinnamon, which give off a unique flavour. Upon the addition of spices the batter can also be accompanied by crushed nuts, the most popular being walnuts and almonds.
Dorset apple cake,[1] Devon apple cake and Somerset apple cake[1] are traditional forms of this cake, respectively from Dorset, Devon and Somerset, England. They may include apple juices local to these counties as part of their recipes, but are not necessary.
Apples are also used in other cakes, including chocolate cake, where their water-retention can help a normally-dry cake to stay moist. In this case they may be either dried or fresh.
(Appleless) Spiced Apple Cake
3oz golden caster sugar 6oz softened, unsalted butter 3 medium/large eggs 5oz plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/8 tsp cream of tartar 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground mace
Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and grease a 20cm tin. Cream the butter with the sugar until it is all creamed in. Beat the eggs and pour it in the creamed butter in quarters or thirds. Mix until it looks a little runny. Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, 3/4 tsp of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground mace and a small pinch of salt, mix it in until it looks all mixed in.
2. Pour the cake mixture into the tin, sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden brown and an inserted skewer is clean.
3. Serve with double cream or coffee.