More Cakes, great for a cuppa with friends

There's nothing like a cuppa to soothe frayed nerves and a cuppa with friends is even better.  I do like to bake a cake to have with our cuppa when friends come over, especially if there is a crisis that needs sorting or a rant to be had.  I don't want to spend hours faffing over a cake, I like maximum flavour for minimum effort. 

Here are three cakes I made recently for cuppa and natter sessions:

Apple and Sultana Cake

I used Granny Smith apples in this cake, freshly picked from the tree in our back garden.  You could use eating apples or bramley cooking apples, whichever you have.  If you use eating apples the cake will be slightly sweeter than if you use cooking apples.

225g butter, softened

180g light soft brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 free range eggs

300g self raising flour

2 apples peeled, cored and diced

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1 handful sultanas or raisins

200ml creme fraiche

Topping

1 apple peeled, cored and sliced thinly

2 Tblsp caster sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to180C.  Grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin with baking paper or a liner.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, either with an electric beater or stand mixer.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the flour and spices to the creamed mixture alternating with the creme fraiche.

Fold through the diced apple then pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.

Smooth the top then arrange the thinly sliced apple slices over the cake batter.  Mix together the sugar and cinnamon then sprinkle over the sliced apple.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes until it is golden, shrinking away from the edge of the tin and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

We had ours with some creme fraiche mixed with a little icing sugar and drizzled over the slightly warm cake.  It was delicious!

Cinnamon Sponge

180g caster sugar

75g butter

2 free rang eggs

250g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

200ml semi skimmed milk

Icing

200g icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 180C then grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy with an electric beater or stand mixer.  Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Mix the flour, baking powder and spices together then add the to the creamed mixture alternating with the milk.

Pour the mixture into the lined cake tin and level the top.  Bake for 30 minutes.  The cake should be golden, shrinking away from the edge of the tin and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Mix the icing sugar and vanilla with enough water to make a pourable icing then pour over the cake.  Before the icing sets dust over some cinnamon.