A Weekly Bake + English Apple & Cinnamon Cake

14 March 2014


I'm rather chuffed at the moment. I've been contacted by a new cafe that is to open in a local park here in Hove and they've asked me to make some cakes for them. Now, people often ask why I don't sell my cakes. The initial idea brings about all kinds of romantic notions, but having given it some realistic thought I'm not sure I would just want to produce sponges day in, day out - that could become dull. I love baking when I'm preparing something for my family or friends - that is something altogether different.

However, I went along and meet one of the cafe owners for a chat with an open mind, and I'm glad I did. Knowing my other commitments they have asked if maybe a couple of cakes a week would be manageable. Yes, I believe it would. But the best bit is that they have given me complete creative freedom to bake whatever cakes I like. I can bake my favourite tried and tested recipes as well as delving into my stockpile of new recipes I'm longing to try. Far to good an opportunity to turn down. What's more with regular baking comes regular blog posts. A win-win situation.

The cafe is due to open sometime in a few weeks time, but the owners are doing a promotional prelaunch pop-up this weekend. Due to the basic set up of the pop-up, my first couple of bakes had to be a cake with a bit of stability, the kind of thing you can eat holding in a napkin, rather than on a plate with a fork. You can't launch a cafe without a good chocolate cake so I made this Easy Chocolate Cake and as an alternative, this Apple & Cinnamon Cake.

English Apple & Cinnamon Cake (pictured with the pink rose decorations)

300g self-raising flour
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
250g demerara sugar
125g butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
175ml milk
250g English apples, peeled, cored and chopped
icing sugar for dredging

Preheat the oven to 180℃ / 350℉ / Gas Mark 4

Grease and line the base of a 23cm circular cake tin. 

Sift the flour, cinnamon and salt into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Mix in the melted butter, eggs and milk, followed by the apple. Beat until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 mins, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and it is golden.

Place on a wire rack to cool, before removing the cake and dredging with icing sugar.

2 comments:

  1. Lovely! I will definitely try it (especially with the roses).... Thanks :)

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  2. Thanks for your comment Celena. The English Apple & Cinnamon Cake is a favourite of my eight-year-old daughter. If you're a dried fruit fan, you could add 50g of raisins along with the apple, my daughter isn't hence why I never add them ... but I think they'd make a nice addition :)

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