BBC - Radio 4 Woman's Hour -Nigel Slaters English Apple Cake

A slim, moist cake, best served warm, that will keep for a day or two wrapped in foil.

130g butter
130g sugar
3-4 medium apples
juice of half a lemon or lime
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs
130g flour
1 tsp baking powder

Set the oven at 180 °C/Gas 4.

Line the base of a square 24cm cake tin, about 6cm deep, with a piece of baking parchment. I do this with one sheet of paper cut to the exact size of the base of the tin but long enough to come right up the sides. That way you can just lift the paper to remove the cake.

Put the butter and caster sugar into a food mixer and beat till light and fluffy. Whilst this is happening, cut the apples into small chunks, removing the cores as you go and dropping the fruit into a bowl with the juice of the half lemon.

Toss the apples with the cinnamon and demerara sugar.
Break the eggs, beat them with a fork, then gradually add them to the butter and sugar.
Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold them gently into the mixture.
Scrape into the lined cake tin.

Put the spiced apples on top of the cake mixture, then scatter with the breadcrumbs and, if you wish, a little more demerara sugar.

Bake for fifty-five minutes to an hour. The edges should be browning nicely and the centre firm. Leave to cool for ten minutes or so before turning out. Eat warm.

Enough for 8

Retired? Downsizing? Moving home to be nearer the kids?