This cake is simple to prepare and can be enjoyed warm with coffee or cold at a picnic.

Ingredients

• 150 grams butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 500 grams cooking apples
• grated rind and juice 1 lemon
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or mixed spice

Method

1. Melt 50 grams of the butter in a small frying pan or saucepan. Add ¼ cup of the sugar and all the rolled oats and cinnamon. Stir for 4-5 minutes over a low heat until just crispy. Spoon the mixture evenly into the base of a greased and lined 20cm round cake tin.
2. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Toss in the lemon rind and juice and set aside.
3. Beat the remaining butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Sift together the flour and spice and fold into the creamed mixture alternatively with the apple mixture. Spoon over the crispy oat base.
4. Bake at 180ºC for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Stand for 10-15 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool. Serve warm or cold dusted with icing sugar or decorated with a little lemon icing prepared simply from sifted icing sugar and lemon juice.