Somerset Apple Cider Cake

Recently I've been doing a lot of Victoria Sponge cakes, or chocolate sponges etc, one thing I never bake is a cake that has fruit it in, I'm not usually a big fan. I think the fear comes from Christmas fruit cake which I cannot stand, I'm on of those people do that 'yuck face' whenever any time of fruit cake is mentioned.

So I thought it was time to change this, it was really cold yesterday when I got in from work and it actually felt a bit wintery, so naturally I needed to bake to fill the house with heat and a yummy smell. So to break my no-fruit baking streak I went through one of my favourite recipe books 'The Great British Book of Baking' that came out with last year's series of The Great British Bake Off (which I also love! and unfortunately failed to get passed the audition stage, but if someone is going to brutally kill your bread it may as well be Paul Hollywood!) anyway, I love this book! It features many from the series and lots other British classics with stunning photography, history and great techniques. This is where I found this Somerset Apple Cider Recipe, I changed it a little for preference when it came to apples and sugar but that's about it. I loved the idea of putting cider in a cake, this helped ease the thought process of putting fruit it in too!

This cake only took me 30 minutes to make before putting it in the oven, it also recommends you bake it for an hour as I did this too, came out perfect! I also nearly never have right right size actual tins so I often end up baking them in my biscuit/cake tins!

Ingredients: for a 23cm spring form tin (greased and lined)

• 175 unsalted butter, softened
• 175g light brown muscovado sugar (I used Tate & Lyle soft brown sugar- gorgeous!)
• 3 free range eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 250g self raising flour (I always use plain and add baking powder)
• 100ml Cider, choose a well flavoured apple one so the taste really comes through, I used Henry Westons 2010 Vintage
• 500s tart eating apples, peeled, cored and diced (I used cooking apples for the stronger flavour, and kept them in segments rather than dicing)
• 2 tablespoons demerara sugar to sprinkle with (again I used the soft brown sugar)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius/325 Fahrenheit/gas mark.
2. Beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each one.
4. Sift the flour on to the mixure and gently fold in with a large metal spoon, when partially mixed in add the apples and cider before fully combining.
5. Spread the mixture evenly into the tin, sprinkle with the sugar and bake for an hour, until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Eat warm for full nom!

While I would still say I would always choose chocolate or lemon over fruit, I did enjoy this cake, you could actually taste the cider and the apples weren't as mushy as I thought they would be. It was really moist and hasn't dried out despite being cut all day. The sugar on top once it has caramelised was simply gorgeous - it really made the cake I think! I will continue trying to convert myself into cakes like these....what to try next? Pin It Now!

Old School Post Of The Month - Angel Layer Cake

As far as I can remember, angel layer cake was always my favourite cake. I'm not sure if it was the name, the colours or the taste, but I loved it.

I've searched for a little while for a good recipe but actually haven't found any that are just like the classic version, everyone wants to add different flavours but by tradition is it just a vanilla cake, so don't be tempted to ruin it by adding anything else. Keep it simple people!

I did have one worry though, usually I'm not too into the artificial flavour, but with this cake one of the best bits about it, is that it is a bit artificial...am I right? So I was worried that by making it good...I would make it bad!

Right so let's get into it!

Ingredients:

• 225g butter at room temperature (a good quality one)
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 large free range eggs
• 225g plain flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp whole milk
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 85g icing sugar
• 35g butter again, keep this aside for the buttercream
• pink and yellow food colouring

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (celcius).
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Break in two eggs, half of the flour, baking powder and vanilla (sifted), whisk, and repeat with the other half. Now add the milk and whisk into the mix.
4. Take a third of the mixture into a seperate bowl and add either the pink or yellow food colouring until you get the desired depth, remember, it's 'angel' cake, so don't make it too strong.
5. Take another third in another bowl and mix in the other colour.
6. Now grease and line a loaf time, three if you have them.
7. Divide the mixtures into the tins and bake in the oven for about 25-35 minutes. Check with a skewer to make sure its cooked perfectly.
8. Leave to cool
9. Once cool make the buttercream by whisking together the butter and icing sugar, you can add some more vanilla extract to this for an extra kick of gorgeous if you want - I did.
10. Level the three layers and stack with a layer of buttercream between the layers. 
11. Slice and eat. Nom!

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