It’s been a good year for fruit and you are faced with a ton of surplus apples – so what to do with them?
You’ll keep the doctor away with this old regional recipe for Apple Loaf served up by ‘Baker Mike’, who writes a popular ‘Friend in Knead’ column for the Keighley News.
The label says ‘loaf’, but it’s a cake really in a loaf’s clothing, and makes for a moist, delicious mouthful, wolfed down either cold with butter – spread thick and rich – or as a warm dessert submerged under custard. Easy to make ‘n all.
Ingredients
- 2 large eating apples – cored with the skin on and cut into small chunks
- 120ml/4fl oz sunflower of vegetable oil
- 60ml/2fl oz milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – optional extra
- 250g/8oz soft brown sugar or caster sugar
- 250g/8oz self-raising flour, sift
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Good pinch of mixed spices
Dusting for top of the cake when baked:
- 2 teaspoons caster sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Mix both ingredients together well and sprinkle over the cake when cool.
Method
- Line a standard 2 lb large loaf tin or similar container with parchment/grease-proof paper
- Preheat the oven to 180 c/Gas Mark 4
- In a large mixing bowl, add the prepared apples with the oil, milk, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract
- Combine all the above ingredients well with a wooden spoon.
- Sift over the flour, ground cinnamon and mixed spices, then thoroughly mix again well
- Carefully pour the batter mixture into the prepared loaf tin
- Place your loaf cake in the middle of the oven and bake for around 60 minutes.
- You can test by pushing a skewer through the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean its baked.
- Leave to cool slightly, and lift from the tin using the baking paper
- Allow to cool fully on a cooling rack if you can, then sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar before serving.
Source: Keighley News – Friend in Knead
