Rustic Apple Cake

Sometimes all you want from a cake is something easy and tasty that will help use up a huge glut of apples. Okay so the latter part is a little uncommon but the first two are very much true here. I first came up with this recipe a few years ago to use a bumper apple crop as I had tired of the usual tarts and pies and it rather delectable if I say myself. Moist and dense with sharp chunks of apple and polenta for an unexpected crunch it works well with a cup of tea or warm with a dollop of cream for an easy pudding. Plus the high fruit content means you can dupe yourself that it's practically one of your five a day if you have a large enough slice!

I am a little tentative posting a come up with myself rather than adapting from someone else in case I miss out details that I do on autopilot so if you have any queries please let me know. I tend to be quite cavalier with the amount of apple but have tried to take an average of what I normally put in which I used making it this time but you can add more or less as you feel inclined. You could use other varieties of apple in this but you wouldn't get the contrast in flavour between the cake and fruit that you do with these. This would also be a great recipe to make if you have had a big pork roast and have a lot of apple sauce to use up.

Ingredients:
200g unsalted butter
150g brown sugar
50g caster sugar
3 eggs
200g ground almond
100g polenta
1tsp baking powder
2 large bramley (cooking) apples

Directions:

1. Peel, core and slice one and a half apples (reserve the other half). Place in a bowl and microwave or cook on the hob until soft then mash with a fork to produce a rough puree. Put aside to cool.

2. Put on the oven to heat to 170C and grease a 10-inch cake pan.
3. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy then gradually add the eggs.

4. Fold in the ground almond, polenta and baking powder.
5. Add the cooled apple puree, if it's not yet cool add it in small amounts so the butter in the mix doesn't melt.

6. Peel and chop the remaining apple half before dicing into small cubes (around 1cm) and adding to the mix.
7. Transfer the mix to the cake pan and place in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour until it is golden on top and comes away from the pan at the sides.