Some teaties here a-doen in the pot;
I wish wi' all my heart I had some meat.
I got a little ceake too, here, a-beaken o'n
Upon the vier. 'Tis done by this time though
He's nice an' moist; vor when I were-a meakin o'n
I stuck some bits ov apple in the dough.
William Barnes (Dorset poet)
This is an extract from a poem dated 1835, entitled "Father Come Home" by William Barnes, the famous Dorset dialect poet. Here is a mention of an early Dorset apple cake - although I think it was a dough-type cake and not the sort we make today.
We are visiting friends tomorrow, and I have a thousand apples needing to be used up, so Dorset Apple Cake sprang to mind. Here is the recipe I used, from Dorset Food by Jo Draper.
SPICY DORSET APPLE CAKE
4 oz butter or margarine
4 oz caster or brown sugar
8 oz flour, S-R or adjusted
1 lb cooking apples
1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice or a mixture to your taste
3 oz currants or sultanas
2 eggs
Rub the margarine and the flour together, add the spices, sugar, peeled, cored and sliced apples, currants and the beaten eggs. Put the mixture in a large greased cake tin (10 inch round or 8" square) and bake at gas mark 6 (425F, 218C) for 35 - 45 minutes. The large amount of apple makes the cake a little fragile, so leave in the tin for 5 minutes or more before removing. If you do not have a large cake tin, use two smaller cake tins and reduce the cooking time a little.
In the past I have arranged sliced apple around the top of the cake, but these can scorch so may need a covering of foil if this happens towards the end of the cooking time. Good as a hot pudding too, with cream or custard. . .
Mine is still baking in the oven, and I will include a photo later - here it is before it went in:
And after it came out. It might now, actually, be a couple of slices smaller! It is SCRUMMY!!! I shall take slices tomorrow, rather than 2/3 of a cake . . . Cunning eh?
Photos also of last night's quick pizza (excuse the battered old tin plate - one my OH brought back from t'other side of the world, and still useful!):
I was able to use my lactose-free cheese on the top.
Lastly, getting the most from the slow-cooker - here it is helping along a 2nd proving of a little loaf:
It was still nice and toasty from cooking the jacket spuds all afternoon long.
