She’s apples

By Jan Cheshire
RECENTLY we went to a barbecue with some old friends.  We go every year and usually take something for dessert and/or a salad to share.  Because we have lots of apples at the moment I thought I would make an apple cake of some sort.  Then I found this among my recipes. I haven’t made it for ages and it was a great success and used up a couple of apples too!

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LUMBERJACK CAKE
Ingredients
2 medium red apples
125 grams dates (fresh or dried)
60 grams dried apricots
1 teaspoon bicarb of soda
¾ cup boiling water
125 grams butter
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of plain flour
Pinch of salt
 
Topping
½ cup of brown sugar
60 grams butter
½ cup of milk
¾ cup of shredded coconut
 
Method

1. Grease base and sides of a 23cm square cake tin and line the base.
2. Peel and core the apples and cut into small pieces.   Place in a bowl.
3. Chop and stone the dates and apricots and add to the bowl.
4. Pour the boiling water on top and add bicarb of soda, stir and leave until lukewarm.
5. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
6. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.
7. Stir in the flour and salt.
8. Stir in the apple mixture.
9. Spoon into prepared tin.
10. Cook at 180 degrees for 1 hour.

 
Topping
Prepare the topping about 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

1. Put all ingredients into a pan and warm gently until melted, stir well.
2. Dot the topping over the hot cake.
3. Return to the oven and cook til golden; about 20 minutes.
4. Let cake cool for 10 minutes, then turn gently onto plate with greaseproof paper on so it doesn’t stick. 
5. Cool and keep for up to a week.

 
Enjoy!