Spiced Apple and Honey Cake. Christmassy.

We are heading up to the Drakensburg mountains this weekend for some hiking and self-catering.  So before packing any clothes, topping up the meter or remembering where I wrote down the booking, I set to work on making a breakfast cake.  Cake for breakfast is a big thing in our household.  Especially when on an adventure.

Whether you have just climbed a mountain, walked along the beach or are staring out of your window, there is nothing better than a flask of proper coffee and a slice of homemade cake as the sun is coming up.  Cake doesn't require re-heating, milk or even a plate.  Just a slice of the good stuff in one mitt and a mug of coffee in the other and you know the day will be a goodie.  Historically, my staples for breakfast cakes are, in no particular order: lemon polenta http://bizandthebear.blogspot.com/2012/04/over-easter-weekend-we-hatched-plan-to.html, Nigella's banana http://bizandthebear.blogspot.com/2012/05/nigellas-banana-cake-wondefully.html and orange and bran http://bizandthebear.blogspot.com/2012/05/breakfast-cake-cake-for-breakfast.html.  

However, given that we are now in advent, something spiced was essential for this trip.  So here is my spiced apple cake - it makes the whole house smell of Christmas, takes seconds to make, keeps like a dream and is just perfect for a December breakkie (or the times when you don't fancy offering yet another mince pie). 

Ingredients (makes one 20 cm circular cake, or one regular loaf tin cake)

125 g unsalted butter
225 g treacle sugar
2 free range eggs
225 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 heaped tsp cinnamon
1 heaped tsp mixed spice
300 g eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks
120 g raisins, soaked in 75 ml of rum overnight
runny honey for drizzling

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C and line your tin.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together with electric beaters, then mix in the eggs.
3. Sift over the flour, baking powder and spices and fold in.

4. Stir in the apple and raisins (plus any juice), and pour into the tin.

5. Bake in the oven for just over an hour, or until risen, browned and starting to shrink from the edges.
6.  Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then remove, peel off the paper and sit on a wire rack on a baking tray.  While still warm, use a cocktail stick to make small holes over the top of the cake and pour over a little runny honey.

Apple, honey, spices, rum and raisin - what's not to love?