I baked a lovely apple cake recently, moist and gently spiced with a generous amount of fruit, the sugar topping gives a slight crunch. It’s incredibly moreish, perfect with an afternoon mug of tea in the autumn sunshine.

The garden produced an amazing crop of apples and other fruit this year, having plenty of fruit to bake with I made warming crumbles and tarts (spiced apple, apple and pear also apple and blackberry using foraged berries which was delicious), but I also want to pick some fruit for storing. I really must set some time aside to get on with that.

Back to that cake I was telling you about, here’s the recipe:

Serves 10

250g unsalted soft butter

200g caster sugar

250g plain flour

250g apples (cooker or dessert) peeled and diced

3 eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

Half a mug of sultanas

Generous amount of demerara sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 170C (gas mark 3), line the bottom of a 23cm cake tin with parchment paper and grease the sides. Cream the butter and caster sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, beat the eggs together in a small bowl or jug and gradually add to the mixing bowl (add a tablespoon of the flour to the mix if it begins to curdle). Fold in the cinnamon, flour and baking powder until just combined, then fold in the apple and sultanas until completely combined.

Spoon mixture into the cake tin, spread the top until it’s level and push down any protruding apple pieces until they are covered to prevent them from burning. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top, bake on the middle shelf for 50 minutes, a skewer comes out clean when ready. Leave to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack.

Perfect just how it is or try adding ground almonds or walnuts. Enjoy!