Wednesday 4 January 2012

Experimentation

Happy Wednesday to you.

I normally like to do lots of baking in the run up to Christmas but because of all the crazy knitting I was doing I just didn't have the time.  This has changed now that Christmas is over and I have been baking a few bits and pieces.  Last night, for instance, I quickly knocked up the Nigella marzipan Christmas cake.  I did it because Paul's coming tonight and we didn't get a Christmas together so we're going to make up for that now.  I can't tell you how nice the kitchen smelt while it was baking and I may just have to make a few Christmas things throughout the year now :)

Anyway, the week after Christmas I found a couple of apples at the bottom of the fridge that Maddie refused to eat (she's like that if they've been there for more than a day) so I put my thinking cap on and came up with this:
 An apple cinnamon cake!

I beat together 6oz of butter and 6oz caster sugar then I added 3 beaten eggs a bit at a time.  I folded in 6oz of self raising floor, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp of vanilla essence.  I put half of the mixture into a cake tin, grated 2 Braeburn apples over it then put the rest of the mixture in.  I baked it at 180 for about 35 minutes and left it to cool.  Once it was cool I drizzled icing, made of 4oz icing sugar, 1 tbsp of lemon juice and enough water to make it a but runny.
And it was delicious.  Maddie doesn't like cooked fruit and neither does my friend Clare but they soon wolfed it down!  It made a light alternative to a cake filled with butter icing and I hope some of  you may try it yourselves.

Today, in keeping up with being spontaneous, I went to the pub after work!  Now I'm off to get ready before Paul arrives.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you're all well
Jo xx

9 comments:

Sarah said...

Yum, that cake looks yummy!! Have a lovely evening with Paul. x

Sandra said...

Ooohhhh yum :)

Lou said...

yummy cakes - good idea to use up the apples

Sian said...

I can almost smell it from here..

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

Ooh your cake looks lovely Jo. Ok you're on with the race to make the bag! Although I'm at a disadvantage, with nowhere to put my sewing machine yet!
Fi xx

yvette said...

The cakes look lovely and tasty. Glad you got to spend some time with Paul. I have a plan to make some Christmas stuff through the year (erm, I planned to do that last year as well and failed!!)

My not so simple life said...

love the idea of grating the apple in the middle. will need to try that with my two :)

Lorraine said...

They look amazing. I planned to do a little baking (and break tradition). However,I failed again and now have the ingredients beckoning from my cupboard. I am wondering how I am going to bake and go back on my weight loss plan. Hum!

Lisa-Jane said...

I love baking and I especially love the smell is makes but I need to find some things that I don't like to actually eat! Hope your resolutions are going well. xx