Love Dorset apple cake? Try Lara Jane Thorpe's twist on this classic county bake.
A Famous Five inspired picnic needs a great cake, surely this has to be a Dorset apple cake? In this version the lashing of ginger beer element, always part of a Famous Five picnic, is added by infusing the apple slices with The Dorset Ginger Company’s cordial. You will need a 20cm cake tin for this recipe.
Ingredients
2 apples, sharp crisp eaters are best
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking powder
125g soft light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp Demerara sugar
225g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
125g butter (try Craig's Farm Dairy)
200ml Dorset Ginger Original
Method
Two hours before making the cake, or ideally overnight, core both apples and cut into thin slices, place in a bowl then pour Dorset Ginger Original over so that the slices are just covered, leave to soak up the ginger spiciness.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Grease your cake tin with a little butter, then line the base and side with baking paper. Using an electric hand mixer, in a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and soft brown sugar until light and fluffy, this should take around 3-4 minutes. Gradually add the beaten eggs to the mixture.
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In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder and a pinch of salt, then spoonful by spoonful gently fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.
Drain your apple slices keeping 16-20 slices to one side for the topping. Dice the remaining slices and gently fold into your cake mixture. Spoon into your lined cake tin, arrange your apple slices on top in a circular pattern and sprinkle the Demerara sugar over, for a crunchy topping. Bake for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes, test with a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean it’s cooked. Let the cake cool in the tin, then turn it out. Serve warm or cold with Dorset clotted cream.
