Dorset Apple Cake

One fine fresh spring day a few years ago, visiting the UK, we went walking on the cliffs in Dorset with friends Gill and Shirley and we all stopped in a tearoom for elevenses - all terribly middle class and rather fun. I had Dorset Apple cake with my tea and Shirley had a recipe for it back at home in her warm little home up in the hills above Swanage. The act of theft was as inevitable as it was blindingly fast. Serve it by itself, by all means, but it's also rather special done warm with custard...

Ingredients

• 250g wholemeal self raising flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 125g dark brown sugar
• 125g butter
• 350g cooking apples, chopped roughly
• 1 egg, beaten

Grease and line a 21cm cake tin and set the oven to 375F/Gas 5. Combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, spice and sugar. Rub the butter into this mixture until it forms fine crumbs. Stir the beaten egg and the apples into the mixture and stir it well, then spread out evenly into the cake tin. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Remove and cool before cutting.