Apple and Almond Cake

To be honest, I'm not a great fan of almonds, but I love the flavour of almond in cake. 

So, here is my almond cake but this is not a kind of almond cake which doesn't require flour at all. 

It's an upside down cake. :)   It's beautiful when it is turned out because the bottom of the cake shows a pretty pattern of sliced apples .... Of course, if you laid the apples beautifully that is ...  :)

I made glaze with marmalade and lemon juice to give a shine to the cake.  

Ingredients 

• 180g butter, at room temperature, (or low-fat spread) 

• 140g caster sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 eggs, at room temperature

• 100g ground almonds

• 150g self-raising flour (or plain flower with 1 tsp baking powder) 

• 50ml to 80ml milk 

• 2 small Royal Gala apples, quartered, cored & thinly sliced  

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 170 C / Gas mark 3. Brush around 22cm (base measurement) cake tin with melted butter to grease. Line base and side with baking parchment.

2.  Beat butter, caster sugar & vanilla in a bowl for 8 mins or till pale and creamy (by hand or electric beater). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

3.  Stir in ground almonds. Add half the flour and half the milk. Use a wooden spoon to stir until well combined. Repeat remaining flour and milk.

4.  Arrange the apple, slightly overlapping, over the base of the prepared tin. Spoon mixture into the tin and smooth the surface.

5.  Bake in the oven for 30-35 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

6.  Set aside in the pan for 10 mins to cool slightly before turning onto a serving plate.