Chocolate Apple Cake and Apple Mini Loaves

I was sent a voucher by Sainsbury's to try out their British apples instore at the moment and create something delicious with them.  They also sent me a pack of slivered almonds.  I decided to bake a large cake for us to enjoy as an afternoon tea treat and some smaller ones for packed lunches.  I used Cox Apples for both cakes but you could use any eating apples you like.

Chocolate Apple Cake

I wanted a change from a cinnamon and apple sponge so decided to add some cocoa as an experiment.  The result was a delicious, moist cake with a hint of chocolate that worked well with the slightly tart Cox apples.

3 eating apples, grated

125g butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

1 large free range egg

150g cater sugar

225g plain flour

2 heaped Tblsp cocoa powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Grease and line a 23cm spingform cake tin, I use the paper liners that look like enormous muffin cases.  Preheat your oven to 190C/170C Fan.  Put the grated apple in a bowl then add all the other ingredients and beat, either by hand or in a mixer, until well combined. Pour the cake batter into the tin, smooth the top and sprinkle with slivered almonds if you want.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Leave the cake in the tin to cool for 5 - 10 minutes before turning out and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Apple Mini Loaves or Muffins

I baked these tasty morsels in disposable mini loaf tins because I had some, you could use a 12 hole muffin tin instead.  This recipe made 10 mini loaves, and would probably make 12 generously sized muffins.

190g butter, chopped

150g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

3 medium free range eggs

150g self-raising flour

75g plain flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 Tblsp/75 ml milk

2 eating apples

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan.  Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases or use 10 disposable mini loaf tins.  Use a hand held electric beater or stand mixer to beat the butter,  sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy.  This usually takes me about 5 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time with the mixer running if you can.  If the mixture looks like it is starting to curdle add a tablespoon or two of flour which will stabilise the mixture and it shouldn't curdle.  Sift over the flours and cinnamon then gently but thoroughly fold in followed my the milk until you have a smooth mixture.  

Peel the apples if you like then grate before folding through the cake batter.  Divide the mixture evenly amongst the mini loaf tins or lined muffin tin holes.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a mini loaf/muffin comes out clean.  Leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.