This sweetly spiced apple cake with its nutty streusel topping is easy and quick to make and uses standard pantry staples. Adapt the recipe to suit what you have at hand, pears or peaches can be exchanged for apples, use almonds or pecans in place of walnuts, and nutmeg, mace or mixed spice are alternatives for cinnamon.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 75 grams butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• cups diced, peeled apple

Topping

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 50 grams butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease the base and sides of a 23cm square cake tin, or one of similar size, and line with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda . Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Into the well put the milk, butter, egg and apple and mix only until all the ingredients are combined. Transfer to the prepared tin and spread out evenly.
3. Into a separate bowl put all the topping ingredient – walnuts, sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter and fork together to make crumble-like mix. Scatter over the cake batter.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until a cake skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin. Serve as a cake, or accompany with custard for a dessert.

Cooks Tips

This recipe comes from my Country Calendar Homestead Baking Cook Book.

if walnuts our not in the cupboard, use almonds, pistachio or even cashew nuts.

Firm- fleshed pears can be used in place of apples.