Apple and Almond Cake (Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall)

I am still trying to eat up all those apples and this cake really is lovely. Great with a coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon or a dessert. It is one of the cakes from 'River Cottage Everyday'.

The only work required is the chopping of apples and then arranging them on the cake, but it's worth it.

Ingredients

150g butter
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
75g wholemeal or plain self-raising flour
75g ground almonds

for the apples

4-5 eating apples
25g butter
1 heaped tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional, I prefer it without)

Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC.

You will need a 20cm springform cake tin.

Recipe

Peel and core the apples, cut them into quarters and then slice each quarter in to about 3 pieces.

Heat the butter and sugar in a frying pan and then gently fry the apples. When they are nearly tender and starting to caramelise, add the cinnamon (if using) and take off the heat.

Beat the butter and sugar together, add the eggs, then the flour, then the almonds. Scrape into the tin, smooth over, arrange the apples on top and then spoon over the juices from the frying pan.

Bake for 40-45 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean). Leave for 20 mins before unclipping the tin and leaving to cool. It is also nice served warm with cream.