Apple, Almond and Amaretti Cake. Divine.

This is such a delicious cake, soft and almond-y with a line of apple and crumbled amaretti biscuits in the middle and then scattered over the top.  

It is perfect with a cuppa after a hard day's work (or so I'm told!) and is equally as lovely sliced, warmed and served with a dollop of ice cream for a homely pud.

Look who came to visit or garden when I was baking this cake...

Ingredients

180 g unsalted butter, softened
140 g caster sugar
1 tsp almond extract
3 free-range eggs
100 g ground almonds
150 g self raising flour
100 ml whole milk
2 small eating apples, cored and thinly sliced
a handful of amaretti biscuits, lightly crushed

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C, grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
2. Beat the butter, sugar and almond essence until pale and creamy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Stir in the remaining ingredients bar the apples and amaretti biscuits.
5. Spoon half the mixture into the tin and smooth.  Scatter over 3/4 of the apples and amaretti biscuits.  Top with the remaining cake mixture, smooth the top and scatter over the remaining apples and biscuits.

6. Pop in the oven for 45 minutes or until risen, golden brown and a skewer comes out clean(ish) when stuck into the centre.  I popped some tin foil over the top at about the 25 minute mark to stop the top burning.

7.  Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack removing the greaseproof paper.