APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE

APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE

Whats not to love? Apple Crumble Meets Fluffy Rich Cake.. I know right! match made in heaven. Even better with a generous dollop of British clotted cream! 

INGREDIENTS

- 225g Self Raising Flour
- 225g Unsalted Butter (Softened-Room temp)
- 225g Soft Brown Sugar
- 225g Granny Smith Apples & 225g Bramley Apples
- 4 Medium Eggs (Room temp)
- Juice & Zest of 1 lemon
- 25g Ground Almonds
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Cornish Sea Salt

CRUMBLE TOPPING

- 110g Unsalted Butter
- 110g Demerara Sugar
- 180g Plain Flour

  

THINGS YOU WILL NEED

- Clean hands
- 500g Loaf Tin.. Greased & Lined through the middle with a rectangle sized piece of parchment so its easier to   lift the cake out. 
- Large mixing bowl 
- Wooden Spoon
- Whisk 
- Scales
- Cooling rack

HOW TO:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Lightly greasy a 500g loaf tin and cut a approx 30 by 8cm piece of parchment and place it down in the middle of the tin. This will make it easier to get the cake out of the tin without making a mess.

2. Peel, core and slice apples into 1cm chunks. Toss in lemon juice to stop oxidation and retain freshness.

3. With a whisk, cream together the unsalted butter, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, adding a little flour with each addition to keep the mixture smooth.

4. Sift the remaining flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the bowl and fold in with the ground almonds. Drain the apple pieces well, then stir into the mixture.

5.  Pour into the prepared loaf tin and gently using a spatula or spoon level the top.

6. CRUMBLE TOPPING In a separate bowl rub the butter into the flour and sugar till it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Sprinkle a generous amount on top of the cake batter. 

7. Bake in the oven for 45 minuets to 1 hour. Check with a knife or skewer at around 40 minuets in, if it comes out clean then its done, if not give it couple more minuets.

8. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minuets to avoid the cake falling apart. Pull the cake out by the parchment paper instead of tipping it upside down ( dont want to loose all of that yummy crumble topping ).

Best served with good quality clotted cream or creme fresh or even salted caramel sauce with vanilla ice cream nom! nom!

ULTIMATE YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS

ULTIMATE YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS

Here at the Hamilton house hold, we have these puddings at least twice a week. The recipe is my mothers and she says the secret to getting light and fluffy puddings is to rest the batter in the fridge for a few hours or even make it the night before. Also the oil in the tin needs to be smoking hot before pouring the batter.

INGREDIENTS

- 200ml Milk
- 140g Plain Flour
- 4 Eggs
- Pinch salt & pepper
- Quarter of a tea spoon of mustard powder
- Cooking Oil

HOW TO:

1. Preheat oven to 210cFAN/230c/GAS 8. Pour a tea spoon of oil into each hole of a muffin tin or Yorkshire pudding tin.

2. Whisk flour, eggs, mustard powder, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add 200ml of milk while whisking. Pour the batter into a easy pour jug.

3. If the oven has reached temperature, open the oven door (the oil should be smoking slightly) and slide the shelf half out and pour the batter into the tin (it should sizzle). 

4. Place the tins back in the oven and leave undisturbed for 20-25 mins until the puddings have puffed up and browned. Serve immediately. You can now cool them and freeze for up to 1 month.

CHRISTMAS APPLE STRUDEL

CHRISTMAS APPLE STRUDEL 

This is a great recipe to use up any left over mince meat and apples. It’s so simple to make! 

INGREDIENTS

- 1 large cooking apple or two normal eating apples
- 3-4 tbsp of mince meat
- Half zest of an Orange
- Juice of one Lemon
- 8 Sheets of Filo Pasty
- Almond Slices
- Soft brown sugar
- 150g Unsalted butter

THINGS YOU WILL NEED

- Clean hands
- 1 large baking tray lined with parchment paper
- Mixing Spoon
- Brush
- Mixing bowl 
- Scales

HOW TO:

1. Preheat oven to 180c/160cFAN/Gas4. Melt 150g of unsalted butter in the microwave for 30 seconds.  

2. Brush each sheet of Filo pastry with butter and place on top of a lined baking tray. Once all layers have been brushed with butter set aside for now.

3. Add 3 of 4 table spoons of mince meat into a mixing bowl. Peal apple skin and chop into 1” size pieces and stur them into the mince meat.

4. Zest half an orange and squeeze 1 Lemon juice into the bowl and mix well.

5. Spread the mixture out along one edge of the top sheet of filo party. Brush the opposite edge with a little water. Starting at the edge with the mixture on, gently lift the edge of the of parchment paper under the pastry and use it to help you roll the pastry up lengthways like a Swiss roll. Once it’s all rolled up, press your strudel together gently. 

6.  Place it on a baking tray, brush the top with butter and sprinkle brown sugar and sliced almonds. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minuets or untill golden brown. Serve with Crème fraîche or good quality Vanilla Ice cream.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE

CHOCOLATE ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE

If you have an intolerance to gluten and your a chocoholic then this maybe thee cake for you! Its intense rich chocolateness, zingy orange and brownie like texture is highly addictive!

INGREDIENTS

- 150ml Olive Oil * or any other cooking oils
- 50g Cocoa Powder
- 125ml Boiling water
- 2tsp Vanilla Extract or 1 Pod
- 150g Ground Almonds
- 1/2tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch of salt
- 200g caster sugar or light brown muscovado sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 large orange grated zest
- 200g 70% dark chocolate bar (Gluten free)

HOW TO:

1. Preheat oven to FAN170C/160C/Gas3. Grease a 9” cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.

2. Sift cocoa powder into a jug and pour 4oz of boiling water, mix to make a paste. Add vanilla extract or pod and mix through. Set aside to cool a little.

3. In a bowl pour ground almonds, flour, bicarb & salt and mix with a whisk to break up any lumps.

4. Melt dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water.. don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. When melted set aside to cool a little.

5. Pour oil, sugar and eggs into a free standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat till thick and creamy, around 3 minuets of mixing on high speed. While the mixture is mixing, grate orange peal and add to the oil, sugar and egg mixture.

6. Turn the speed down and slowly add the melted chocolate, make sure its not too hot. Then add the cocoa paste and beat for 1 minuet.

7. Fold in the dry ingredients until well mixed.

8. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 30 to 40 minuets. Cake is very delicate so will need to be cooled for 10-15 minuets before taking out of the tin.

* perfect warm or cold with good quality vanilla ice cream :)