Brought to you by food blogger Fiona Cairns, this fragrant blackberry and apple crumble cake is the perfect home comfort. As easy to make as it is delicious, why not use your time during lockdown to hone your baking skills? Fiona recommends serving this indulgent dessert warm from the oven, and adding a sumptuous bowl of crème fraiche or a jug of pouring cream to match - sounds good to us! Top tip - if making the crumble topping seems like a step too far, try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of demerara sugar over the cake before baking. You can thank us later...
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Fiona Cairns' blackberry and apple crumble recipe
RECIPE: Blackberry and apple crumble cake
SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE:
- 200g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the tin
- 280g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 dessert apples juice
- Finely grated zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100ml whole milk
- 250g blackberries
FOR THE CRUMBLE:
- 100g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
- 150g plain flour, sifted
- 80g light muscovado sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Handful (about 50g) of roughly chopped cobnuts or hazelnuts
READ: Joe Wicks' hearty chicken pie recipe is our kind of supper!
INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Butter a 23cm round springform tin and line the base with baking parchment.STEP 2: Make the crumble topping first: in a large bowl, rub the butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon together into fine crumbs with your fingertips (if this is over-mixed in a food mixer, it quickly turns to biscuit dough).STEP 3: For the cake, sift the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Peel, core and dice the apples finely and separately toss them in the lemon juice and zest. Set aside.STEP 4: In another large bowl, using a hand-held electric whisk, or in a food mixer, beat the sugar, cooled melted butter, eggs and vanilla until thick and creamy; this will take a few minutes on high speed. With a large spoon, fold in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk. Don’t over-mix.STEP 5: Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, then scatter the apples and blackberries over the surface and gently push them in. Sprinkle over the crumble, top with the nuts and bake in the preheated oven for 50–60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.STEP 6: Cool the cake in the tin for about 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and serve. If making ahead, cool completely on a wire rack, then slightly warm through to serve.
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