South African Pink Apple Cornmeal Cake

Oh yay, oh yay, the rain did finally come. After enduring weeks and weeks of seething hot weather, it broke at last. And of course, once the pitter patter commenced to fall down upon our dusty windows and scorched grass, da kids looked mournfully out and then turned to us and said 'We're bored!'

Bloody kids. Seriously, you couldn't eat a whole one.

But thankfully, on the very same day, we received a hamper of apples and pears from South African Fruit. So I took the unprecedented move of reaching into the cupboard and saying 'Right, here's a recipe card! Here's some polenta! Here's some butter. Here's some bloody ground almonds! Now, go make me a cake and be quiet while you are doing it!'

Of course, they weren't very quiet at all and came into the front room about 50 times, whilst I was hunched over my laptop on the sofa, trying to think of witty ways to sell packets of crisps. But I persevered in giving them free rein.

Even when it was announced that several eggs had fallen on the floor and that the dog was licking the eggs and what should they do? Should they try and save the eggs? Or let Lenny eat the eggs?

('Too late, Dad. Lenny's eaten the eggs')

But they didn't do a bad job at all really, which is testimony to the recipe itself and perhaps their burgeoning skills in the kitchen. I'd say that they poached the slices of delicate Pink Lady a little too long. Someone said that they resembled radishes. Which they sort of do. However, they got the main drift and produced a sweet, sumptuous round of cake, that delivered a slice of sunshine, on an otherwise dull and grey day.

Well done kids!

Now, get back out in the garden!

South African Pink Apple Cornmeal Cake

Ingredients

1 South African Pink Lady or Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
150g butter, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1tsp vanilla extract
150g polenta
Pinch of salt
200g ground almonds
1tsp gluten-free baking powder (most baking powder is gluten-free)
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Topping:

Finely shredded zest and juice of 1 lemon
40g icing sugar
1 South African Pink Lady or Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced

Crème fraiche, to serve

Method

Cook the chopped apple in a small amount of water for 5-6 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4.
Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, then gradually beat in the eggs.

Fold in the vanilla, polenta, salt, ground almonds and baking powder.

Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and cooled apples.

Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and level the top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until set and golden.

Cool for 20 minutes in the tin, then turn out carefully and cool completely. Remove the lining paper.

Heat the lemon zest and juice with 4tbsp water and the icing sugar.

Add the apple slices and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Spoon over the cake and cool.

Serve with crème fraiche.