Italian Apple Cake

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 cooking apples
• 1/2 lemon, juice of
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (not dessicated)
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 150 g butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur (substitute a couple of drops of almond essence or omit this step if neither is available)
• icing sugar, for dusting (confectioner's)

Recipe

• 1 set oven to 180c (350f).
• 2 grease and lightly flour a 23cm (9 inch) round cake tin.
• 3 you'll also need three mixing bowls- small, medium and large- for this recipe.
• 4 do not peel the apples.
• 5 cut into chunks about 1/2" square- discarding the core.
• 6 place apple chunks into the first (medium) mixing bowl.
• 7 toss apple in lemon juice to avoid discoloration, then drain off and discard excess juice.
• 8 add raisins and coconut to the apples.
• 9 tip walnuts onto cutting board and sprinkle over 1 tablespoon sugar.
• 10 chop nuts roughly with the sugar, then add nuts and'nut flavoured' sugar to the apple mixture.
• 11 mix well.
• 12 in the second (large) mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• 13 in the third (small) bowl, combine eggs and sugar and beat until light and lemon colored.
• 14 still beating, add the melted butter and the liqueur (or essence).
• 15 make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the egg mixture.
• 16 stir until well combined.
• 17 tip in the apple mixture and mix well.
• 18 at this stage it may seem you have too much apple and not enough batter- don't worry!
• 19 turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
• 20 bake on the centre shelf of the oven at 180c (350f) for about 45-50 minutes or until the top of the cake has turned a nice golden brown.
• 21 (test with a skewer if unsure.) remove cake from oven, turn onto a rack to cool.
• 22 sprinkle with icing (confectioner's) sugar to serve.
• 23 serve with thick cream.