For city dwellers, it can be hard to reconcile romantic ideas of autumn (a time of plenty, harvest festival) with the reality of ever shorter, darker days. This cake puts two ingredients to work that make the season worth celebrating: apples and blackberries. Paired with warming spices, they make the perfect treat to watch the leaves fall and rain patter past your window.
Apple and blackberry cake
Feel free to substitute the fresh blackberries used here for frozen, or even for other fruits such as currants or raspberries. All you really need is something small and sweetly tangy to cut through the sweetness of the sponge.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 8
150g dried figs
2 apples (I use Pink Lady)
200g unsalted butter
175g dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
125g plain flour
75g wholemeal flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1½ tsp baking powder
150g blackberries
Cream or creme fraiche, to serve
Start by chopping up the figs and peeling and grating the apples. Set aside in a bowl. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs until smooth and glossy. Stir in the flours, spices and baking powder followed by the figs, apples and blackberries.
Pour into an 23cm cake tin lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, by which point a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean with no batter.
Leave to cool a little, then serve warm with a little cream or creme fraiche.
