Devon Apple Cake: A hug on a plate

Introducing our popular Devon Apple Cake, a recipe inspired by the legendary Mary Berry. This mouthwatering dessert has become a staple at our B&B, delighting our dinner guests with its warm, comforting flavours. Made with love and featuring fresh or frozen apples from our very own cooking apple tree, this cake is not only scrumptious but also versatile, accommodating gluten-free and vegan dietary preferences. It’s no wonder our guests adore it.

The secret and essence of this recipe is speed. Peel and chop your apples into a bowl of water. Except in Autumn when the apples are fresh, we are using our own frozen cooking apples from the tree in the stream behind the house. Its important to defrost frozen apples before using and drain off any liquid to avoid making your cake soggy. This recipe would also work well with rehydrated dried apples.

You need enough apple to form a layer roughly 0.5 to 1 cm thick over the entire area of your baking tray. The amount given below is just a guide and I always do it by eye. Too much apple can make the cake layer beneath it soggy and too little and you can’t taste it.

This recipe also works well with gluten free flour and plant-based margarine. I’ve not yet tried making it with an egg substitute. Making it with our own free range eggs with the bright orange yokes gives the cake a wonderful colour. The almond essence and flaked almonds can be omitted. Cinnamon or nutmeg would also work well with the apple.

Devon Apple Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 450 g Cooking Apples
• 350 g Self Raising Flour
• 350 g Caster Sugar
• 2 level tsp baking powder
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional if you are quick)
• 4 large eggs
• 225 g melted butter
• 1 tsp almond essence
• Flaked/chopped almond for decoration

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking parchment or well-greased greaseproof paper.
2. Prepare your apples: Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Squeeze the lemon juice over to prevent them browning. Alternatively cover with water – a little bit of browning does not matter.
3. Measure the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
4. Beat the eggs together with the almond essence
5. Stir the beaten eggs and the melted butter into the flour mix and mix with a large hand whisk. From this point don’t hang around as the batter stiffens as the butter solidifies!
6. Spread half the mixture into the bottom of your tin.
7. Dry your apples if necessary and spread evenly over the cake batter in the tin.
8. Dollop the remaining cake mixture on the top of the apples in the tin in 4 or 5 spoonfuls – making sure there is some in the centre. Spread it out as much as you can but don’t worry too much if you can’t. It will spread out and find a level as the butter remelts. If it gets too stiff, give it up to 30 seconds in the microwave to remelt the butter.
9. Sprinke the almonds on the top. I usually forget this step and add them once the batter has spread.
10. Bake in the oven for about an hour or until the cake is golden, firm and a knife poked in the centre comes out clean. The cake should have shrunk away from the sides slightly. If it is browning too quickly place some foil or a baking sheet over the top and turn the oven temperature down by 10°C.
11. Leave to cool in the tray for at least 15 minutes, then turn it out and remove the paper.
12. Serve with clotted cream for the full Devon Apple Cake experience. We serve it warm with vanilla ice cream made by Baskervilles in Moretonhampstead. Its also great with custard.