Monday 7 September 2009

Blackberry and apple cake

I have to show off these beautiful Burgundy Red potatoes, dug from the allotment yesterday. They're like little jewels, glowing ruby red. You have to watch them carefully as they boil, as they have a tendency to get very floury if they're left too long. They taste wonderful. What you lack in quantity you get back in flavour from this heritage variety.
On to pudding - this is adapted from a recipe in October's Olive magazine. Blackberry and apple cake

4 or 5 peeled, cored and sliced apples
About 20-30 blackberries, but not to worry if you have fewer
150g soft butter
150g sugar - I used 100g castor and 50g light moscavada
2 eggs
125g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
a pinch of ground cloves

Heat the oven to gas mark 4.
Put the apples in a pan with a knob of butter and a spoonful of the sugar and cook gently until the apples soften. Don't worry if you have cooking apples and they go a bit mushy. Turn off the heat and add the blackberries. Once they've cooled a bit, bung the apples and blackberries in a sieve and reserve the juice. Put the apple and blackberries in a buttered 20cm round deep cake tin - or, like me, use a paper tin liner.
Add the remaining sugar to the soft butter and mix. Then add in the eggs, then the flour, baking powder and spice. Next, stir in the fruit juices. Put the tin into the oven and bake for around half an hour. Let the cake rest for about ten minutes, then turn out.
Because of the blackberry juice, the cake looks very dark, but it tastes delicious. Serve with custard or cream.

6 comments:

Shaheen said...

Hey it looks good to me.

I can't wait for the brambles to ripen here, when they do, it will be a sure sign that Autumn has arrived.

Oh and those Burgundy red potatoes look gorgeous. I have just dug up some 'volunteer edzell blue potoatoes' from the garden plot. I didn't particularly enjoy them, so decided not to grow them this year. Lets see if these 'volunteers' can change my mind.

franmouse39 said...

How lovely to have the harvest still to come! I hope you enjoy your Edzell Blues - I had them last year and really liked them. But like all heirlooms, they do go to mush quickly if you don't watch them...Shetland Black is another old variety I love, and next year I want to grow Sharpe's Express, which apparently has the best flavour of all.

meemalee said...

That cake looks so yummy and moist - I'd plump for cream :)

Do the potatoes stay that lovely ruby red colour when they're cooked?

goodshoeday said...

The potatoes look beautiful. I buy the Shetland ones in Waitrose when they have them but its not the same as digging them form your own plot. i might try growing some in a big tub a few freshly dug potatoes would be so nice.

Unknown said...

Your Burgundy Reds look great. I've grown Edzell Blue for the last two years and also tried Shetland Black last year. I like floury potatoes so have no problem with them at all!
I'm intrigued by your Sharpe's Express tip and might try them next year if I can find them anywhere.

franmouse39 said...

Thanks guys! Yes, the Burgundy Reds do keep their colour, if in a dulled form.
Scarlett - you can get Sharpe's Express from Carroll's Heritage potatoes here: http://www.heritage-potatoes.co.uk/index.php