Seems like everyone is getting married in 2011; I wonder if it's a particularly auspicious year or if it's just sheer coincidence. I was at a high school friend's wedding the other weekend and sitting at my table at the reception was one couple that got married a few weeks a ago, another couple getting married and having their reception at the exact same place in 1 weeks time, and then there was another couple having their wedding in 3 weeks. The fourth couple i.e. my best friend was there with her husband, leaving myself and one of my girlfriends (as they boy hadn't been invited) to look at each other in every effort not to feel a little odd.
Anyhow, in tandem with weddings are kitchen teas and hen's nights. For this particular girlfriend who was getting married, her maid of honour offered up her place to host the kitchen tea where all guests were invited to bring a dish to share. I ended up making an Apple & Cinnamon Crumble cake the night before to bring along.
The actual recipe is for a Pear & Ginger Crumble Cake from Linda Collister's 'Cakes & Bakes from my mother's kitchen'. With a few little twiddles, you have yourself a new cake recipe and I'm quite partial to the combo of apple and cinnamon.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. First make the crumble topping - Place 60g plain flour and 1 tsp ground cinnamon in a bowl. Add 50g cold unsalted butter cut into cubes and quickly rub it into the flour with your fingertips. Add 3tbsp light brown sugar and rub again until the mix resembles coarse sand. Refrigerate until needed. In a large bowl, beat 125g softened unsalted butter and 125g caster sugar with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time and beat well with each addition. Tip in 125g plain flour, 2tsp baking powder and beat for 1 minute until the mixture is smooth. Spoon the mixture into a prepared cake tin and level the surface. Peel and core 2 apples and mix in a bowl with 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice. Arrange on top of the cake.
Sprinkle over the crumble topping and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until the cake is risen and golden on top.
Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and cutting into slices.
Store in an airtight container in a cool cupboard or the refrigerator and eat within 2 days.
This cake is very moist and packs a punch with flavour. Only downside is that the cake doesn't seem to keep very well. Despite placing in the fridge, it was moldy by the third day (so the recipe is quite right about eating this one within 2 days!) I think the original recipe for pear and ginger is worth a try; it's been awhile since I've made a ginger recipe!
1 comment:
Between my husband and my friends, we were invited to 8 weddings a couple of years ago - it was madness! Because the weddings are always crowded around spring, with a few scattered in autumn. I was a bridesmaid at one of them and close enough to the brides to go to 3 hens' events. It really is as if everyone gets married at the same time!
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