This was one of my Mom's original favourite recipes - the humble but delicious apple cake. Treat your Mom to something sweet this Mother's Day.

Simple and classic, this light, flavourful cake is easy to make. It also works well with a dairy-free butter substitute so it’s a good one to choose if any of your Mother's Day guests are lactose intolerant.

120g caster sugar
120g unsalted butter, softened (or substitute for plant-based if dairy free)
2 large eggs
175g self-raising flour
A splash of whole milk (optional), or plant based milk if dairy-free
2 large Granny Smith apples (about 250g)
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp Demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6, and grease a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line it with baking parchment or its nice to just use a oven proof dish that you spoon the cake out to serve.

First you need to cream the sugar and butter – make the sure the butter is at room temperature beforehand, and nice and soft. Put them in a bowl and beat with an electric whisk really thoroughly until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

Then whisk in the eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is well mixed in before adding the next. Sift the flour into the bowl and fold it in gently. If the mixture feels too stiff, add a splash of milk to loosen it a little.

Peel, core and slice the apples, then toss them with the cinnamon.
Add about one-quarter of the apple slices to the cake mixture and fold them in gently, then scrape everything into the prepared cake tin. Spread the mixture evenly over the base of the tin, pile in the remaining apple slices, then sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top. 

Bake the cake for 30–40 minutes, checking it with a skewer after 30 minutes. If the skewer comes out clean when you insert it into the centre, the cake is done. If there’s some mixture clinging to the skewer, pop the cake back into the oven for another 5–10 minutes. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift it out of the tin and set it on a wire rack to cool for a little longer.

 

Serve on some pretty vintage china plates, and enjoy while still warm with some custard or vanilla ice cream!