Apple Cake Recipe

Ingredients :

Butter – 175 gms, plus extra for greasing
Apples –  3 medium
Dates, halved, stoned and finely chopped – 100 gms
Eggs – 3
Self raising flour – 350 gms
Blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped – 100 gms
Ground Cinnamon –  2 tsp
Sugar – 175 gms

Preparation Time : Approximately 1 hour

Method :

Heat oven to 180°C. Lightly butter a deep 20cm loose-based or spring form round cake in, then line the base with baking parchment.
Melt the butter by heating it and then cool it for 5 minutes. Crack the eggs into the butter and beat well. Mix the flour with the cinnamon and the sugar.
Core and cut two apples (unpeeled) into bite-size chunks. Mix the apples into the flour along with the dates and half of the chopped hazelnuts.
Pour the egg and butter mixture into the flour mixture and gently  stir together. Spoon into the tin, smooth the top.
Thinly slice the remaining apple (unpeeled) into circles, discard the pips, and then arrange over the top of the cake. Sprinkle over the remaining hazelnuts.
Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until the cake is cooked and risen. Check if it is done by pushing a skewer into the centre – it should come out clean.
Remove the cake from the tin, peel off the paper and transfer the cake to a wire rack. Cool completely. Keeps for up to 3 days.