Traditional English Apple Traybake - Apple Pudding Cake

French Tart's Note:

A simple and easy to whip up apple sponge cake; baked in a tray for easy serving - cut into bars or squares for picnics, school or office lunch boxes & for tea time treats! It is DIVINE served hot with cream,custard or ice cream for a great Autumn/Fall pudding. This type of cake is often called Dorset or Somerset Apple cake, but it is really quite popular in nearly all of the English counties, especially during apple harvest season. I have stipulated Bramley apples, which are English cooking apples - in the absence of these, any tart or sharp "Appley" flavoured or regional "cooking" apples will do.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 16

Yield: 16.0 Slices

• 1 lb bramley cooking apple
• ½ lemon, juice of
• 8 ounces butter , softened
• 10 ounces golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 ounces self raising flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F or Gas mark 4.
2. Grease & line a rectangular baking tray - approx 9" x 7" or 27 cms x 20 cms.
3. Peel, core & thinly slice apples; squeeze the lemon juice over them to stop them discolouring and set them to one side.
4. Place butter, caster sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour & baking powder into a large roomy mixing bowl & mix well until smooth. You can use an electric hand whisk if it's easier.
5. Spread half of the cake/pudding mixture into the prepared tin. Arrange half of the apples over the top of the mixture.
6. Repeat the layer with the remaining half of cake/pudding mixture & apples - the apples should be arranged over the top of the cake/pudding mixture.
7. Sprinkle over with the demerara sugar.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown, well risen & springy to the touch.
9. Leave to cool slightly for 10 minutes & then cut into squares or bars.
10. Wait until the cake has completely cooled before removing the cake & the baking paper from the tin - store in an airtight tin or container.
11. If you wish to serve this warm as a pudding, wait 5-10 minutes and then cut and serve with cream, custard or ice cream.
12. It can also be microwaved too, for a future hot pudding!

Reviews

[BlueDiva]

Lovely cake, and easy to prepare. I made it exactly to recipe and found it needed 55-60 minutes baking time. But oh such a soft, moist texture AND my mother-in-law liked it! I'd like to add ginger and cinnamon next time, but I'll definitely be making this one again.

[Chef #953803]

This is absolutely gorgeous. My children love the buttery vreamy flavour of the cake and my parents loved it with cream. Definitely a keeper, will be making this for many years. Great frozen too!

[Ginger Rose]

This was lovely - especially when it was still hot and served with vanilla ice cream!