Mariangela’s Speedy Apple Cake

How is it that Mariangela’s Speedy Apple Cake is such a firm favourite with people who come to my writing workshops and the 'Clear Mind. Clear Body' workshop attendees? Maybe taking time out makes us spoil ourselves. Here's how to make it. The recipe comes from our Italian friend, Mariangela pictured here with hands in pizza dough. She lovingly cooks amazing food for guests at the wonderful Casa Giumentina in Abruzzo where we are holding a small retreat in July. I'll bring back more recipes...or you may like to join us. Let me know. See also the Luscious Lemon Cake post for another fool proof Saturday afternoon recipe.

4 large apples

200 g wholemeal flour
100 g cane sugar
3 tbsp sultanas
1 tbsp pine nuts or crushed walnuts
1/2 cup olive or sunflower oil
1 small tub plain yoghurt
1 egg
Pinch cinnamon
1 lemon + its grated rind
1 sachet (15 g) baking powder

Slice the apple finely, and sprinkle lemon juice on it.
Mix all the other ingredients, adding the baking powder last.
When the texture is creamy, add the apples.
Bake for about 35 minutes at 180 C.

Pretty simple! Let me know how you get on...

Let them eat cake

Spattered bits of wholemeal flour and egg adorn the old Cranks cookbook. Page 178 is falling out along with the rest of the old brown pages and we're in danger of losing the Luscious Lemon Cake recipe.

For friends and family, picnics and parties, some recipes need to be handed down. Today it was my monthly writers' workshop and we looked at shifting the words from chaos into order. These writers don't just need space and creative input. Cake fuels the words and helps make delicious connections.

Marie-Antoinette would be pleased: "Let them eat cake!"

For a little batch you need: a 100g butter, 150g sugar, rind and juice of one lemon, 1 egg, 100g of wholemeal self-raising flour. Triple the quantity because one batch is never enough.

Melt the butter and most of the sugar in a pan over gentle heat, stir in lemon rind, whisk the egg and mix it in, fold in the sifted flour, and bake for about 30 mins at 180 or gas mark 4.

Mix the lemon juice and a large spoon or two of sugar in a pan over heat, dribble it over the cake once cooked. (Poke a few holes in the top first.) Eat it before the gannets get it.