A Recipe for Blackberry, Apple & Almond Cake...

The end of summer is nigh... The sun streaming through the window has changed from the stark, bright light of high summer (highlighting my cleaning imperfections) to bathing everything it hits in a golden hue. My mind is slowly turning from salads to comfort foods. This year, I feel more than ever that fall is just around the corner. After a mild summer, I'm already seeing the leaves change colour and, in some cases, slowly falling onto my overgrown, raggedy garden.

The produce of fall is gradually making an appearance at the local farmers market too... squashes, blackberries and, today, apples from upstate New York, piled high at the entrance...

Now, I'm on a bit of a baking kick at the moment, and so, I decided to bag me up some apples, pick up a punnet of blackberries, and tootle back home to make my favourite fall cake... Apple, blackberry, and almond cake...

Mmm... What a delicious combination (although I could add almonds to anything and an instant love affair would ensue). And blackberries, are synonymous with autumn... Once upon a time, I would have left my house with an old ice-cream tub, wandered down the lane, and, in no time, filled it with blackberries from the hedgerows... but that that was back in Blighty... Here, in my part of New Jersey, they don't grow with such free abandonment... and so, I have to make do with blackberries sold at the local farmers market... they're still local, but paid for, and I've not had the joy of picking them and popping a few (several) in my mouth along the way!

This recipe was originally taken from one of my old Sainsbury's calendars... I slightly adapted it to include more marzipan (have I mentioned that I love, love, love marzipan)... Seriously, I could just eat the whole packet in one go... no guilt... nothing! It's really easy to make and a nice tea time treat, with a cuppa. Mmmm, the taste of fall...

Anyhoo, I just wanted to share this recipe... just in case you had a glut of blackberries and apples and were looking for recipe ideas.

Take care.

Lx

Blackberry, Apple & Almond Cake Recipe

Ingredients

2 small apples (peeled, cored & thinly sliced)

100g blackberries

juice 1/2 lemon

100g marzipan (cut into small cubes)

100g unsalted butter (softened)

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 tsp almond extract

150g self raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

25g of flaked almonds

Method

Preheat oven to 160C / 320F. 

Grease and baseline a 8 inch cake tin.

Put the apples and blackberries in a bowl and squeeze over the lemon juice. Add the cubed marzipan to the fruit mixture and stir through.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the almond extract and beat.

Add the flour and baking powder, combine thoroughly.

Spread half of the prepared cake mixture to the bottom of the cake tin.

Top with 3/4 of fruit mixture.

Layer the remaining cake mixture on top and the rest of the fruit.

Sprinkle the almonds over the top of the cake.

Bake in the oven for around 50 minutes or until the cake mixture is cooked through. (I check by sticking a knife into the centre and making sure it comes out clean).

Leave the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a plate.