Old-fashioned apple cake

An old-fashioned apple cake packed with plenty of apples. It may be simple and unassuming, but it’s wonderfully soft, moist and buttery, with a delicate hint of lemon. It tastes exactly how a classic homemade apple cake should…

Ingredients for the old-fashioned apple cake:

• 3 large eggs
• 200 g caster sugar
• 12 g vanillin sugar
• 150 g butter, melted and slightly cooled
• finely grated zest of ½ lemon
• 300 g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 600 g apples (such as Bramley apples)

All the ingredients should be at room temperature. Peel, core and dice the apples.

Place the eggs and both sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high speed (using the whisk attachment) until the mixture becomes pale, thick and fluffy, almost tripling in volume. When lifted, the mixture should fall in a thick ribbon and remain visible on the surface for several seconds. With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the melted butter. Add the lemon zest and briefly mix. Sift the flour and baking powder directly into the mixture, then gently fold together with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the diced apples.

Line a 23 cm round cake tin with baking paper and pour in the batter, smoothing the top.

Bake at 180°C for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave to cool completely, then dust with icing sugar before serving.

Enjoy!