Phil's Spiced Apple Tea Cake

Serves: 12 Cooking time: 60 minutes

A really wholesome cake, which you can make various different variations of - try it with 100g of blueberries instead of the apple chunks, or adapt it to make spiced carrot cake and use 100g prepared weight of grated carrot substituted for the apple.

You can also make muffins instead of the whole cake; use large muffin cases in a tin and divide equally between 12. 

Ingredients:

  • 150g plain flour
  • 2 level tsp baking powder
  • 1tsp cinnamon
  • 1tsp allspice
  • 150g Total Sweet Xylitol
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 50ml (scant 4tbsp) vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
  • 100ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 150g green apple, washed
  • 1tsp vanilla extract or paste

For the cider crunch topping (optional):

Method:

  1. Oil and line the base of a small cake tin: 18cm
  2. Preheat the oven to 170°C, 150°C Fan, Gas mark 4
  3. Weigh out all your ingredients to start with. In a large bowl, sieve the flour with the baking powder and spices, to mix evenly. Stir in the xylitol.
  4. Core the apple, leave the peel on and chop it into small chunks, about 1- 2cm.
  5. In a small bowl, mix the eggs, oil, milk, apple chunks and vanilla.
  6. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir until combined. Don’t beat. The mixture will still look a little lumpy rather than smooth.  
  7. Spread the cake mixture into the prepared tin, smooth the top and pop into a preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
  8. Allow cooling, turning out of the tin after 10 minutes or so, to cool completely on a wire rack.
  9. For the crunchy cider topping: finish the cake just before serving.  Mix just enough of the cider with the Xylitol to make a wet “paste”.  Dot the crunchy paste over the cake.
  10. Best enjoyed fresh or frozen on the same day.

Tip: Don’t peek and open the oven door until at least the last 10 minutes or the cake may sink. Baking times will vary depending on your oven: adjust the time and temperature.

If you are making cupcakes or muffins: reduce the cooking time to 25-30 minutes.

Copyright Phil Vickery

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