Dorset Apple Cake

Name: Dorset Apple Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: West Country
Ingredients: 225 g self-raising flour; 1 tsp Ground cinnamon; 115 g Unsalted butter; 115 g golden caster sugar; 450 g bramley cooking apples; 2 large eggs; 3 tbsp Whole milk; 50 g sultanas; 2 tbsp demerara sugar

A moist, pudding-like spiced sponge packed with tender Bramley apples and finished with a crunchy demerara sugar crust.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· South West England

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 290 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

225 g self-raising flour — sifted
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
115 g Unsalted butter — chilled and cut into cubes
115 g golden caster sugar
450 g bramley cooking apples — peeled, cored, and cut into 1cm dice
2 large eggs — beaten
3 tbsp Whole milk
50 g sultanas — optional traditional addition
2 tbsp demerara sugar — for sprinkling over the top

Equipment

•20cm round springform cake tin
•Greaseproof paper
•Large mixing bowl
•Apple peeler
•Wire rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 290 kcal
fat: 12 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 4 g
calories: 290 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat the fan oven to 160°C.
2
Grease a 20cm round springform tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
3
Sift the self-raising flour and ground cinnamon into a large mixing bowl.
4
Rub in the chilled butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
5
Stir in the caster sugar, diced apples, and sultanas until well distributed.
6
Add the beaten eggs and whole milk to the bowl.
7
Stir gently with a wooden spoon until a thick, cohesive batter forms.
8
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface lightly.
9
Scatter the demerara sugar evenly across the top for a crunchy crust.
10
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
11
Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack.

Chef's tips

Cut the apples into uniform small chunks so they cook thoroughly without leaving wet pockets. Bramley cooking apples yield the best tart flavour against the sweet sponge.

Ingredient substitutions

Bramley cooking apples → Cox or Russet eating apples
golden caster sugar → white caster sugar or light brown soft sugar

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Reheating

Reheat individual slices in a fan oven at 150°C for 5 to 8 minutes until warm throughout.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Cutting apple pieces too large, which prevents the surrounding batter from cooking through.
•Overmixing the batter once the eggs and milk are added, resulting in a heavy sponge.