Blackberry, Bay and Apple Cake
A delicious, seasonal bake that's perfect served at an afternoon tea or as a dessert.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time46 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 16 minutes mins
Servings: 8 slices
- 150 g blackberries
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 small dessert apples ie. Rosette or Royal Worcester
- 125 g butter room temperature
- 125 g caster sugar
- 2 large free range eggs lightly beaten
- 125 g self-raising flour
- 45 g ground almond
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 25 ml whole milk
- 1 tbls demerara sugar
- Small handful skinned hazelnuts roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Grease a 20cm cake tin. Line the base with baking paper. Reserve 30g blackberries. Place the remaining blackberries and tablespoon caster sugar and the bay leaf in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cook for 5 mins or until the mixture thickens a little. Set aside to cool completely. Once cool remove the bay leaf.
Combine the flour, ground almond and cinnamon, set to one side.
Use a free standing mixer to beat the butter and sugar until really pale and creamy. Add the egg, a little at a time, beating in between each addition. Add the a third of the dry ingredients at a time. After the second addition add the milk, then follow with the last of the flour. Grate one apple, (I leave the skin on). Stir into the cake batter.
Spoon half of the cake mixture into the tin. Spoon over the blackberry mixture. Smooth the surface. Top with the remaining cake batter. Peal, core and slice the remaining apple. Arrange on the top with the reserved blackberries. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and hazelnuts.
Bake for 45-48 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.