Somerset Spelt Apple and Cider Cake

When I was deciding what to bake for the first visit of our beloved family, I wanted to find a really local recipe.  I tried books, and I googled and only just now have found a recipe for Somerset Apple Cake which I shall try in a week or two..or course with a twist or two.

I was inspired to develop a new recipe based on the bounty of our new County...just down the road at Shapham Park farm they are now growing Spelt, we have wonderful orchards of apples with numerous varieties at the Wells Market and just beyond Cheddar is the Cider Maker Thatchers.  We have sourced wonderful honey and local free range eggs.

Ingredients

1 small eating apple, cored, then diced small with the skin still on 

1/2 tsp ground mace

150g light spelt flour

50g ground almonds

2 tsp baking powder

75g Delamere goat's butter

50g honey

100g light muscovado sugar 

60g raisins

75ml cider

2 medium eggs

Flaked Almonds

Soak the raisins in the cider for a few hours or overnight.

Toss the prepared apple in the ground mace.

Add the spelt flour to a large bowl, together with the almonds and baking powder.  Add to this the cold butter and rub it in till the mixture looks even and like fine breadcrumbs.  Add the light muscavado sugar and mix till evenly distributed.

Mix the honey into the cider and raisins, the mix in the eggs gently till you have an even mixture.

Add the honey, cider, raisin and egg mixture to bowl containing the spelt, almond and butter, and stir till even but don't stir too much!

Gently pour into a 500g loaf tin which has been lined with baking parchment.  I used my slightly large Silverwood tin, which gives nice wide slices.  There is no reason not to bake this as a tray bake either!

Bake in a moderate oven...I used 160 Fan in my new oven!  It took about 40 minutes till a skewer came out with just that little bit of moisture which means the cake is done but not overdone.  For the last fifteen minutes I covered the cake with some parchment to stop the almonds from scorching.

Most of the cake was eaten on the day of the visit, and very much enjoyed.  I'll be baking this one for all new visitors so be warned...it is  lovely with a dollop of clotted cream or local organic sheep's yogurt when I can get it.  If it isn't in the market that week, I may just get you to cycle across a couple of miles of beautiful countryside and pick some up from Wootton Farm. Mr S prefers goat's yogurt...and his favourite is Delamere's which Morrison stocks.