Tatty old apples

At this time of year I often have an empty fruit bowl. This may sound somewhat alarming but it is because it is soft fruit season and soft fruit doesn't store well in a fruit bowl. My family gorge themselves on the raspberries and strawberries often before they even reach the kitchen so they have little need for a banana shipped halfway across the world. Having an empty fruit bowl does have its downside, however, as when I'm in the middle of something and my girls pester me with a request for food my standard answers "Have a banana" or "Have something from the fruit bowl," cannot be used.

This happened last week and out tripped the world "Have something from the fruit bowl," without my brain even being involved in the task. A moment later they were back again, "There is nothing in the fruit bowl expect 3 horrible apples," my youngest complained. I dragged myself away from whatever I had been doing and in just a few moments had whipped up an impressive soft fruit fruit salad with a dollop of ice-cream. Then I inspected the apples in the fruit bowl and could understand why they had been rejected - wrinkly, is the word for it.

I hate food waste with a passion and although I could have dropped the apples into the compost bin with a clear conscience I decided instead to use them in a cake. So the next day when they informed me they were hungry I cut them each a slice of vanilla apple sponge and neither of them complained that the apples were horrible this time!

Vanilla Apple Sponge

9 oz (250g) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz (225g) caster sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 oz (250g) self-raising flour
3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon demerara sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180°C, gas 4. Line a round cake tin. Cream together the butter and sugar then stir in the egg and vanilla. Sift in the flour and mix until a thick batter forms. Dollop into the lined cake tin then push the slices of apple into the mixture. Sprinkle with the demerara and cinnamon. Bake for 1 hour 5 minutes and test with a skewer. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then cool on a wire rack.