Somerset cider and apple cake recipe

Martin Blunos
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Somerset cider and apple cake recipe

West Country man Martin Blunos uses traditional cider and apples in this light, delicious cake. For extra West Country-ness serve with clotted cream. 

At a glance
  • Cuisine British
  • Recipe Type Dessert
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation time 20 mins
  • Cooking time 50 mins
  • Serves 8 people
Ingredients
  • 175 g (6.2oz) sultanas
  • 150 ml (5.3fl oz) dry cider
  • 280 g (9.9oz) plain flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 225 g (7.9oz) unrefined caster sugar
  • 180 unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs (medium)
  • 1 zest of a lemon
  • 1 large cooking apple (peeled and cored)
  • 2 Granny Smith's (peeled and cored)
  • 2 tsp Somerset brandy
  • 1 tbsp demerara sugar
To serve
  • 1 cup clotted cream
  • 1 tbsp Somerset cider brandy

Step-by-step

  1. Set oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Butter or oil spray a 20cm round cake tin and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.
  2. Warm the cider a little. Soak the sultanas in it for about 20 minutes. Finely slice the apples and dribble over 2 teaspoons of the brandy - toss well.
  3. Sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a bowl.
  4. Cream the sugar and butter for about 5 minutes, in a machine, until pale and fluffy. Beat the eggs and add a little at a time to the creamed butter and sugar.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients, the lemon zest and the sliced apples together.
  6. Stir in the soaked sultanas, along with any remaining cider
  7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, level off, sprinkle with the demerara sugar and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
  8. Cool in the tin, then a wire rack until completely cold.
  9. Can be served cooled as a cake or warmed through as pudding along with lots of clotted cream and a splash more brandy.

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