Apple & Spice Tealoaf

Perfect with a fresh pot of tea, this looks and tastes just as good as a farmers' market buy

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 1 hr, 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 10

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  416

• Protein

  7g

• Carbs

  50g

• Fat

  22g

• Saturates

  10g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  36g

• Salt

  0.54g

Ingredients

• 175g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 175g light muscovado sugar, plus 1 tsp
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 eating apple
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g dried mixed vine fruits
• 85g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 175g plain flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• splash lemon or orange juice
• 1 tbsp marmalade or apricot jam

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a 900g/2lb loaf tin and line with a strip of baking paper, or use a loaf tin liner (see tip, below). Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then beat in the eggs one by one. Grate half the apple and mix it into the batter with the vanilla, dried fruit and ground almonds. Mix the baking powder, flour and spices together with a pinch of salt, then fold into the mix until even. Spoon into the tin and level the top.
2. Thinly slice the remaining apple half, toss with the lemon or orange juice, poke the slices a little way into the batter, then sprinkle with 1 tsp more sugar. Bake for 45 mins, then turn the oven down to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Cover the cake with foil, then bake for another 45 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin.
3. To finish the cake, melt the marmalade or jam in a small pan, sieve to remove any lumps, then brush it over the cake to glaze the top. Serve cut into thick slices, and spread with a little butter, if you like. Will freeze for up to 1 month.

Categories: Cakes & Baking