Apple Almond Sultana Cake

While the rest of the world is moving towards spring, we are in a mood to enjoy the autumnal produce here down under. It’s the season of all the orchard fruits you could think of…Apples, Pears, Persimmons, and Chestnuts. And if you ask me, I love these autumn fruits as much as I love those colorful berries from the summer months. There’s something in the autumn air, which brings warmth to your heart. The shorter days and longer nights mean more time to cook relaxed meals and enjoy the slow life. This is the time when your body craves for spicy, comforting food, exactly like this Apple Almond Sultana Cake. I baked this cake last week during Easter break. It was meant for a short day trip I did during the break. And if you’ve known me personally, you’d know that I so much love to bring the baked goodies and cakes like these whenever I travel. It’s kind of customary for me to bake a cake for a holiday. It’s just another way of reminding myself of the grateful life I have lived so far and all the beautiful moments I have spent with my friends and family. This is one of the wonderful recipes which I have tweaked and baked hundreds of times and it never ceases to amaze me how forgiving is this one. It lends you a moist and moreish crumb which you would’ve imagined in your dreams. And it definitely is the one which you’d enjoy with a cuppa, while you travel.

Ingredients

• 200 gm butter, softened
• 175 gm light brown sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 200 gm self raising flour
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• half nutmeg, freshly grated
• 3 eating apples, peeled, 2 grated and 1 sliced lengthwise
• 100 gm sultanas
• 50 gm flaked almonds
• icing sugar, to dust (optional)

Instructions

• 1
  Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Grease and line a 22 cm springform cake pan with butter and parchment paper and keep aside.
• 2
  In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar and lemon zest, until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of bowl after each addition. Sift in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix.
• 3
  Add sultanas and grated apples and mix until just combined.
• 4
  Pour the batter into prepared pan. Arrange the sliced apples on top and scatter the flaked almonds. Bake for 65-70 minutes or until the skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with aluminium foil after 45 minutes of baking, if the top of the cake browns too much.
• 5
  Let cool in pan for about 20 minutes and then on a wire rack, until it cools completely. Dust with icing sugar before serving.