members recipes

A light vanilla scented sponge with lovely apples. Great on it\'s own with a cup of tea and even warm as a dessert with cream or custard!

Ingredients
250g/9oz softened unsalted butter
250g/9oz golden caster sugar
250g/9oz self raising flour
1tsp pure vanilla extract OR seeds from a vanilla pod OR 1 tsp vanilla paste
4 eggs
2 small eating apples, peeled, cored and sliced into thin wedges
2 tbsp demerara sugar
Quarter tsp ground cinnamon
Serving Size : Serves 8

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180c/fan 160c/gas 4
2. Grease a 20cm/8in springform tin and line the base with silicone paper
3. Beat together the caster sugar, vanilla extract and butter until light and fluffy
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, only adding the next egg once the previous has been fully incorporated
5. Add the flour and mix briefly to make a smooth batter - take care not to overmix
6. Tip the mix into the prepared tin and smooth the top
7. Slot the apple wedges into the top of the mix - don\'t worry if they look overcrowded, they will shrink during baking
8. Mix the cinnamon and demerara sugar together and sprinkle over the top
9. Bake for approx. 1hr or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean and the sponge is risen and golden - check after 50 minutes
10. Leave to cool in tin for 10 mins, then release from tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
11. Dust with icing sugar if you like (optional)