Cake of the Week: Spiced Apple Muffin Cake with Pecan Streusel Topping

Cake of the Week

Spiced Apple Muffin Cake with Pecan Streusel Topping

For something that bridges the gap between cake and muffin, this week's cake is a just the job.

Delia's Spiced Apple Muffin Cake with Streusel Topping combines chunks of apple, warming spices and a streusel topping to create a cake that's perfect for afternoon tea or if you need to quicky rustle up a last minute cake.

Taken from Delia's Vegetarian Collection, it's based on the classic American muffin method, to produce a wonderfully light, soft-textured cake. In fact, Delia included this recipe for a very specific reason: she still receives letters from people who say they struggle to make muffins successfully. Her advice? Don't try too hard. The secret is to mix the ingredients as little as possible. Overmixing is the most common mistake, while gentle, minimal stirring creates the light texture that makes muffin cakes so irresistible.

Iit's also an easy adaptable recipe. During the summer months, the apples can be replaced with fresh apricots, while autumn plums make an equally delicious alternative. The crunchy streusel topping adds an extra layer of texture and flavour, turning a simple cake into something rather special. For anyone following a gluten-free diet, there's more good news. When testing recipes from the Delia's Cakes collection, she found that muffin-style cakes adapted exceptionally well to gluten-free flour substitutions, with this type of recipe proving particularly successful.

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