Apple and Blackberry slice

Fruity!

I am moving to Berlin this week and am having friends around for some games, wine and of course cake! I've tried to make things that will use up the majority of ingredients in my store cupboard, whilst also battling with the fact that I've had to store a lot of my belongings (cake tins) at my parent's house, 500 miles away. I've made this ginger cake  without the pears, a nice lemon cake and this cheesecake along side this apple and blackberry slice. 

It's got a nice layer apples baked in to the middle of the slice with lovely jammy blackberries dotted about. And, because I think it's tasty- it's also almond flavoured.   

Ingredients:
150g butter
290g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250g self raising flour
150 ml fat free natural yoghurt
2 caps full of almond extract
2 large apples
180g blackberries
icing sugar, to dust

Method:
- preheat the oven to gas mark 4 and line a shallow rectangular tin with baking paper.
- beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg gradually and beat well.
- stir in the flour and yoghurt alternately and mix until smooth. Stir in the almond flavour.
- spread a thin layer of the batter over the tin. Peel, core and quarter the apples and slice thinly. Lay these over the cake mix. Top the apples with the rest of the batter. Scatter the berries on top and bake for 40 mins.
- once cooked, leave in the tin for half an hour, then leave to cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar and scoff.

Chocolate and Almond Cake

I didn't get a chance to take a photo till it was half eaten

My Auntie was coming up for a visit so I thought I would bake a cake! I am moving to far away lands in the next few weeks, so wanted to use up the supplies that I have. Ground almonds was first on the list!

Due to the move, I have also sent most of my cake tins away, so this should have been in a smaller one ie a two layer job. It was still tasty as a single layer, so no complaints here. There isn't any butter in the cake so it's best enjoyed all in one go, on the day.

Ingredients:

150g dark chocolate, chopped

95g ground almonds

60g self raising flour

4 eggs, separated

115g caster sugar

2 tbls warm milk

150ml whipping cream

Method:

-Preheat the oven to 180C/ gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm spring form tin with paper.

- put 100g of the chocolate in a food processor and blitz until fine. Add the almonds and flour and whiz to combine.

- beat the egg yolks and sugar using an electric whisk until really thick. 

- stir in the chocolate mixture and stir, it will be quite thick. Add the milk to loosen it up a bit.

- beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Mix one third of the whites in to the cake batter, then gently fold the remaining whites in. pour in to the tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 45 minutes. Leave in for 5 mins, then turn on to a wire rack to cool.

- melt the rest of the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whip up the cream. Pour the chocolate on to the cake, then when set, spoon on the cream.

-enjoy with a cup of tea!