Spiced Apple and Cider Cake

First chop the apple (no need to peel) and put it into a bowl with the cider and raisins while you prepare the cake.

Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a roomy mixing bowl, lifting the sieve quite high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down. Then add the butter, eggs and sugar. Now, using an electric hand whisk, combine them for about one minute until you have a smooth creamy consistency. Then, using a large metal spoon, fold in the apple, raisins and cider. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, and level the top with the back of the spoon.

Now for the topping: measure the butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon and cloves into a bowl. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until you have a fairly coarse, crumbly mixture, then add the flaked almonds. Now, quickly quarter, core and peel the remaining two apples. Slice them thinly and scatter the slices all over the top of the cake. Then sprinkle the topping over the apples and bake the cake near the centre of the oven for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes or until the cake shows signs of shrinking away from the side of the tin.

Leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then loosen it round the edge with a palette knife. Place the tin on an upturned bowl and slide the tin downwards.  For more on how to remove cakes from tins click here Then, using the palette knife, carefully slide it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. Dust with a little golden icing sugar before serving. Store in an airtight tin.