Carol's Apple Cake
If you live in New Zealand and have an apple tree you may find that you have a lot of windfall apples after the storm we just had. Mine are not quite ready, and the coddling moths have been breeding like crazy this year, so the apples don't look very appealing to anyone but me! I thought about making apple pie, but I've a hankering for a cup of tea and some cake. Also, the kids like taking this to school because it has no icing, and thus doesn't mess up their lunch box (these things are important apparently). Carol is my husband's, sister's, husband's mother. She doesn't call it Carol's Apple cake, coz that would be weird.
Carol's Apple Cake
1 and 3/4 cup of diced apple (or grated)
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
125 grams melted butter
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice (or mixed spice if you don't have allspice)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts (yuck! - optional)
1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk if mixture is too dry
Oven 180 C (356 F)
Sprinkle sugar over chopped apple. Add butter and egg, mix a bit, then add dry ingredients.
Lastly add raisins and walnuts (yuck!)
Bake at 180 C for 40 minutes (I use a round tin 20 cm diameter, lined with baking paper)
Dust with icing sugar when cool.
(This cake smells divine while it's cooking. May I suggest you invite a friend around while it's still in the oven - the smell will build anticipation to the max, and you'll get to chat while waiting (or not waiting!) for it to be cool enough to eat!)
