Whenever I go on a bit of a health kick and buy more apples than two people could ever manage to eat, I like to make this toffee apple cake to use up those apples that are looking a little bit sorry for themselves. Yes, I know that completely defeats the point of the health cake kick, but I’m still getting some fruit, aren’t I!?!  This week was one of those weeks – bags of apples had been on two-for-one at the supermarket and we had some left.

You will need:  8oz self raising flour, 3oz margarine/ butter, 8oz peeled sliced apple, 1 medium egg, 2tbsp milk, 2tsp mixed spice and 6oz demerara sugar.

Preheat the over to 175°C/ 340°F/ Gas Mark 3.  Grease and line a 18cm x 25cm baking tin.

Cream the margarine/ butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Mix in the sifted flour, mixed spice, milk and whisked egg.  Add the apple.  Don’t worry if the mixture looks dry!  Mine looked like this before I cooked it.

Pat the mixture into the baking tin and bake for 1hr 15mins.  Cover with foil if it’s becoming too brown.   I always thought that this cake was best eaten on the day you make it, or at most the day after, but I’ve just found a forgotten slice in the cake tin I cannot believe it was still there a week later and it’s still all gooey and sticky.  It’s delicious with some custard on a cold afternoon or ice-cream on a hot one.