How d’you like them apples?

 

I’m not normally the kind of person to choose a fruity cake over a chocolatey one, but sometimes, just sometimes, there’s call for a fruit based bake and this is one of my favourites.

A few months back the apple tree in the communal garden on my road was shedding its load gratuitously all over the lawn so I thought I’d gather some of the little chaps up and make them into a spicy apple loaf, another hit recipe from my pilfered book Muffins and Quickbreads, for my monthly novelists’ meet up. I’ve made it on lots of occasions (mainly when I have a few wrinkly apples festering in my fruit bowl) and it never lets me down. It’s lovely after it’s cooled but even better nice and warm just out of the oven.

1 egg
250ml bottled or homemade apple sauce
55g butter or marg, melted
110g dark brown sugar (can be made with light muscavado for a lighter textured cake)
50g caster sugar
285g plain flour
2tsps baking powder
½tsp bicarbonate of soda
½tsp salt
1tsp cinnamon
½tsp grated nutmeg
70g currants or raisins
55g pecans or walnuts, chopped

- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/ 350F/ Gas Mark 4
- Line a 9×5 inch loaf tin with greaseproof paper and grease.
- Lightly beat egg and stir in apple sauce, butter and both sugars.
- In another bowl sift flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet in 3 batches.
- Stir in currants and nuts.
- Pour into the tin and bake for about an hour (until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean).
- Let stand for 10 mins then turn out onto a cooling rack.

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