BRAMLEY APPLE, RHUBARB & MARZIPAN CAKE

A little lumpy bumpy, a little on the rustic side, this is a cake with a double identity – if you pop it in to bake just before you sit down to supper, then it’ll be ready for you to eat your first slice warm, all steaming and puddingy, with custard or cream.  But by the next day it has ceased in its existential struggle, and expresses itself solidly as cake, nothing more, nothing less.  It happens to perform cake very nicely, too – a little crumbly, but without falling apart, moist from the fruit, and with a hint of spice.  The marzipan is subtle – discernible every now and then as you get a piece in your forkful – but doesn’t overwhelm the fruit.  Lumpy bumpy success.

 

 

Ingredients

200g SR flour

150g golden caster sugar

150g butter

3 eggs

50g marzipan

About 3 thin stems rhubarb

1 large bramley apple

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1 tsp. ground mixed spice

 

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Peel, core, and slice the apple, and cut the rhubarb into about 1cm x 1cm pieces.  Chop the marzipan into small chunks.

Melt the butter over a low heat.  Meanwhile, lightly whisk the eggs with a fork in a large mixing bowl.  Add the sugar, and use an electric whisk to mix until well combined and a little frothy.  Add the butter and whisk in, then sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and spices.  Beat it in with a wooden spoon until just combined.

Spoon about two thirds of the batter into a large cake pan (lined and or greased if you’re not using a silicone pan), then scatter over the apple, rhubarb, and finally the marzipan.  Top with the remaining cake mixture (don’t worry if it doesn’t quite cover the fruit) then bake in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes, depending on how hot it is.  Remember to eat a piece immediately!

Tags: bramley apple, Cardamom, Marzipan, Rhubarb, rhubarb and apple cake