A very good cake indeed

My life has become very hectic this year. Three very on going projects and one very interesting personal one, and that's only professional work I am talking about. I am not sure it has made me more efficient and worried that it actually has the opposite effect. I am feeling tired constantly and my body aches even with gentle exercise now. I should not overload myself with work but hey, life does not always go as planned or wished.

My physical and sometimes mental fatigue even prevents me from doing simple things I love at home, like baking our weekend breakfast cake. I am missing it. I miss eating different cakes every weekend and I miss the fulfillment and contentment which also comes from completing a series of actions, searching for a recipe, sourcing its required ingredients, getting busy in the kitchen and finally cutting into the first piece. Total self indulgence, I admit.

Last night I baked our weekend breakfast cake, the first after many weeks of pause. When I took a first bite this morning, I felt a sensation running up and down my body as if my body recognized my own baking. No kidding. It was very brief but also very real. I smiled. This is a very good cake indeed.

Dorset apple cake (originally by Lesley Waters)

- 450g apples which hold its shape after baking (I use Granny Smith), about 3 small
- juice of ½ lemon
- 200g butter, room temperature
- 230g golden caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 350g all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- demerara sugar and almond flakes , to sprinkle

Heat oven to 200C. Butter and line a rectangular baking tin (approx 27cm x 20cm) with parchment paper.

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples then squeeze the lemon juice over. Microwave for two minutes. Set to one side.

Place the butter, caster sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and mix well until smooth. Mix in the apple slices. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and almond flakes.

Bake for 45-50 mins until golden and springy to the touch. Leave to cool for 10 mins, then turn out of tin and remove paper. Cut into bars or squares.