The easiest Apple pie you’ll ever make

Autumn is the season, where you can harvest the most stunning produce all over the countryside. We are particularly fond of going apple picking and usually come home with more than 10 kilos of apples. We have absolutely no problem consuming all of these apples. I have many stunning recipes for dishes cooked with apples, but this one is a favourite we keep going back to. It is very easy, because you literally ‘throw everything in a bowl, stir, and then – pop it in the oven’.

I have always been a huge fan of cinnamon and apple. The flavour combination is spot on, and this cake is probably one of the easiest cakes you’ll ever make. So if you suddenly have some people coming over for an impromptu visit, you can whip this up in no time. Easy peasy – and might I add – very yummy indeed.

INGREDIENTS

• 150g butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 200g all-purpose flower
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 100g dark cooking chocolate (80%), chopped into small bits
• 4 small apples, peeled and sliced
• A couple of pinches of sugar and cinnamon mixed together
• Crème-fraiche or whipped cream for serving

METHOD

• Melt the butter, and leave to cool.
• Once the butter has cooled, add the sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and salt, and mix together with a hand mixer.
• Add the cinnamon, chopped chocolate, and then the apple slices. Stir with a wooden spoon.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Grease a cake tin, or a pie dish, and pour in the cake mixture, making sure the apple slices are evenly distributed throughout the tin. If you like – add thin apple slices to the top of the cake as decoration.
• Put the cake in the oven and bake for 25 mins. Take the cake out and sprinkle on the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Return the cake to the oven for a further 5 minutes, then remove, and leave to cool.
• Serve the cake with Crème Fraiche or whipped cream on the side. I prefer Crème Fraiche as it complements the sweetness of the cinnamon and sugar.
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