Apple Cake

• I've been given some Bramley apples so I'm trying out this recipe.

  
  

  Ingredients

  150g/5½oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

  75g/2½oz caster sugar

  75g/2½oz soft light brown sugar

  ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

  ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

  ¼ tsp fine salt, plus a pinch

  1 tsp vanilla extract

  3 free-range eggs

  175g/6oz plain flour

  35g/1¼oz wholemeal flour (or wholemeal spelt flour)

  2 tsp baking powder

  2 medium Bramley apples, cored, peeled and cut into 1cm pieces

  1 tbsp cornflour

  15g/½oz demerara sugar

  
  

  Method

  
  

  Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Grease and line a 20cm/8in cake tin with baking paper.

  Beat the butter, caster sugar, light brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract together using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.

  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

  Mix the flours, baking powder and a pinch of salt together in a separate bowl, then gradually mix into the butter, sugar and egg mixture using a spatula or wooden spoon. Stir well to make sure there are no pockets of flour.

  Mix the apple pieces with the cornflour until well coated, then combine with the cake mixture.

  Tip the cake mixture into the prepared tin and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin before serving with a cup of tea or a drizzle of cream.

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Best Banana Bread (AWW)

I never buy the right amount of bananas and ripe bananas means banana bread, doesn't it? The australian Women's Weekly reckon this is the best banana bread, and I have tried it, and it tasted good and kept well. So I'm sharing it here.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

125 gram (4oz) butter, softened

1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups (400g) mashed ripe banana

1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup

1 2/3 cup (250g) plain (all-purpose) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1/2 cup (25g) coarsely chopped roasted walnuts

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F. Grease a 13cm x 26cm (5¼in x 10½in), 2-litre (8-cup) loaf pan; line with baking paper.

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until paler and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined, then mashed banana and maple syrup.

Sift over flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt. Add walnuts; stir with a large spoon until combined. Spoon into pan; smooth the surface.

Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in pan for 10 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool.