Dorset apple cake

A classic British apple and sultana cake using tangy apples, with a characteristic demerara crunch on top. Enjoy with ice cream and a pot of tea.

Ingreadient

• 150g butter, softened and cut into cubes, plus a little for greasing
• 150g light brown muscovado sugar
• 150g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 Waitrose Duchy Organic British Free Range Medium Eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 cox apples
• 100g sultanas
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• Ice cream, to serve (optional)

Step by step

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Grease a loose bottomed or springform cake tin (18cm diameter), then line with baking parchment.
2. Place the butter cubes in a large mixing bowl with the muscovado sugar, then beat together using an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Sieve the flour and cinnamon into the mixture, add the beaten eggs with the milk and mix until combined.
3. Peel the apples, cut into 4, then remove and discard the cores. Cut each ¼ in ½ again lengthways, then slice the pieces widthways. Reserve a handful of apple pieces and stir the rest with the sultanas into the cake mix.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and, using the back of a spoon or spatula, level the surface. Scatter the reserved apple pieces evenly over the top, then sprinkle over the demerara. Bake for 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes, until cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the tin, cool on a wire rack, then serve with cream, clotted cream or ice cream, if liked.