Dorset apple cake


  • 450g cooking apples (such as Bramley)
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp mixed spice
  • Juice of 1 lemon + grated rind
  • 225g butter , softened
  • 280g golden caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 350g self-raising flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • demerara sugar , to sprinkle
We recently stayed in Dorset, near Worth Matravers in a lovely, little cottage. On walking into the village every day, we passed by tables with free range eggs or freshly baked cakes with a little sign asking for money to be left in the pot sitting on the table. We bought the best eggs I have ever eaten in my life and some wonderful Dorset Apple Cake.

Heat oven to Fan 170C/gas 3. Grease a round cake tin (approx 23cm diameter) and place a round piece of greased baking parchment or silicone on the base..

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples, then pour the lemon juice over and sprinkle with cinnamon and spice. Mix well with hands and set to one side.

Place the butter, caster sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder into a food processor and mix well until smooth. Spread half the mixture into the prepared tin. Overlap some apple slices closely over the top of the mixture, then repeat, ending with some apples on top. Sprinkle over with demerara sugar.

Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours - checking after 30 minutes (cover with foil) and then every 15 minutes. I found that my oven had a tendency to burn the apples on top, before the cake was properly cooked inside, so I covered it loosely with foil after about 30 minutes of cooking. It is ready when a cake skewer comes out more or less clean.

Leave to cool for 10 mins, then turn out of tin and remove paper.