Apple Crumble Cake

Mmmm, my favourite pudding in cake form. I think I prefer this to an apple crumble, as there's more cake and a lot less apple peeling to do! This cake takes less than 15minutes to prepare, then 40minutes to bake - perfect timing for getting a meal ready in the meantime and serving it warm for pudding with vanilla icecream. Simple and yummy, this is one that I bake again and again.

Ingredients

To give this cake a bit of crunch, try adding a handful of toasted chopped hazelnuts or pecans to the crumble topping.

For the crumble
40g unsalted butter
70g plain flour
1tsp cinnamon
70g soft brown sugar

For the sponge
60g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
1 egg
1tsp vanilla essence
130g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
80ml whole milk

For the filling
3 granny smith apples

Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Grease a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin then dust with flour.

Start by making the crumble. Using your fingertips, rub the butter together with the flour and cinnamon until crumbly. Stir in the sugar then set aside.

For the sponge, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour alternately with the milk to the butter mixture. Once smooth, pour the sponge mixture into your prepared cake tin and level it off.

Peel and core the apples, then cut into slices about half a centimeter thick. Lay the apples in circles on top of the sponge, then sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top.

Bake in the over for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with no sponge mixture on it. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little before removing from the tin. Serve warm with icecream or custard, or cold with cream.