Go Back

Spiced Apple and Almond Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 175 g unsalted butter softened
  • 175 g caster sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 75 ml sour cream plus extra to serve (optional)
  • 125 g ground almonds
  • 115 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 apples cored and thinly sliced
  • 25 g flaked almonds
  • 1 tbsp demerara sugar for sprinkling garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan oven / gas mark 4
  • Grease a 20cm wide loose bottomed or spring form cake tin, and line the base with baking powder.
  • Beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time and then beat in the sour cream. The mixture may look as though it is curdling but don't panic as the next stage will bring it back to a creamier texture. Stir in the almonds, flour, mixed spice and baking powder, and you should have a thick cake mixture.
  • Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin. Lay half of the apples on top, then spread the other half of the cake mixture on top of the apples.
  • Arrange the remaining apples over the cake mixture in a neat pattern, overlapping slightly.
  • Finish off by scattering over flaked almonds and then the 1 tbsp demerara sugar.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 mins, testing with a skewer after 1 hour. If the skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake, it is ready to come out of the oven. The top of the cake will be wonderfully golden, crispy and cracking slightly.
  • Leave to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes before removing from the tin. Serve the cake warm or cold, cut into wedges as it is or with a spoonful of sour cream.