VegetarianWest Midlands English cuisine Desserts

Herefordshire Apple Cake

Name: Herefordshire Apple Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: West Midlands English
Ingredients: 350 g cooking apples; 225 g self-raising flour; 1 tsp Ground cinnamon; 0.5 tsp ground mixed spice; 115 g Unsalted butter; 150 g light brown soft sugar; 2 whole large eggs; 45 ml Whole milk; 25 g demerara sugar

A rustic, spiced sponge packed with tart orchard apples and finished with a crunchy demerara sugar crust.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· West Midlands

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 285 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

350 g cooking apples — peeled, cored, and cut into 1cm chunks
225 g self-raising flour — sifted
1 tsp Ground cinnamon — level
½ tsp ground mixed spice — blend of cinnamon, coriander seed, and nutmeg
115 g Unsalted butter — chilled and diced
150 g light brown soft sugar — for a rich caramel note
2 whole large eggs — beaten
45 ml Whole milk — about 3 tbsp
25 g demerara sugar — about 2 tbsp, for topping

Equipment

•20cm round springform cake tin
•Baking parchment (greaseproof paper)
•Large mixing bowl
•Sieve
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 285 kcal
fat: 11 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 4 g
calories: 285 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat your fan oven to 160°C and grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2
Sift the self-raising flour, cinnamon, and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl.
3
Rub the chilled butter into the flour using your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
4
Stir in the light brown soft sugar and the chopped apples until evenly distributed.
5
Pour in the beaten eggs and milk.
6
Fold gently with a wooden spoon until a thick, uniform batter forms.
7
Spoon the batter into the lined tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
8
Scatter the demerara sugar evenly across the batter surface to create a crunchy crust.
9
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
10
Check doneness with a skewer inserted into the centre; it should come out clean.
11
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Chef's tips

Cut the apples into uniform chunks so they cook evenly throughout the sponge. Bramley apples offer the best tart contrast, but sharp eating apples also work well. Do not overmix the batter once the eggs and milk are added.