APPLE + ALMOND CAKE

Hazah it's Thursday which can only mean one thing, one more sleep until the weekend! Oh yes, is there anything sweeter than this tid bit of knowledge. So why not celebrate with some cake. Well let's not kid our selves. Like anyone ever needed some celebratory event or news to indulge in some cake. Today's is of the apple and almond kind and whilst looking quite fancy and snobbish it's hardly a feat to master.

Granted the apple placement is the only fiddly part, then again you don't have to be pedantic as I am, needing the apple slices to be meticulously placed and adorned in a circular fashion.

Don't let my words fool you, it's not that hard to arrange, though once the outer circle is complete I was left wondering how to place the slices in the middle space left behind so alas I mimicked the original design on the recipe I followed; a simple line of apple. Though the perfectionist in me isn't too impressed by it's placement, so I think the next time we meet I'll have another plan of attack ready for that centre void.

It looks impressive in person, though not of the over top towering frosting and sprinkle encased kind. It's an admiration for it's minimalist look, the wow factor stemming from the beautiful flecks of red that shine through. Though the red likes to deceive, as when presented my friends all came to the conclusion that the sunflower like appearance was due to peaches! Actually when I came across this recipe on Taste is thought it involved peaches too but alas it's merely the skin of the apple.

Now for the good part. Yes it tasted mighty fine, very moist and very much eatable on it's own as opposed to accompanied with some flash vanilla bean ice cream, which, obviously feel free to do so. This cake was pretty tasty and as someone who doesn't favour the dry variety of cakes this was anything but.

Definitely made it to my overgrowing honour roll/file of cakes and treats.

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 INGREDIENTS: 
180g butter, chopped and at room temperature
140g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
100g almond meal
150g self-raising flour
80ml milk
2 small red apples, cored and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F and grease and line a round cake pan with melted butter and baking paper.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until pale and creamy (should take around 8 minutes) then add the eggs, one at a time making sure to combine each one well into the mixture.
Stir in almond meal then add half of the milk and flour, stirring until combined, then repeat with remaining flour and milk.
Arrange apple on the base of lined cake tin, making sure to overlap each piece.
Carefully spread mixture over the apples making sure to smooth the surface.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn onto a serving plate.

Et voila.

-Sxx