Book of Days Tales

The first Monday in November is Recreation Day in Tasmania. Remember it is Spring in the southern hemisphere. Tasmania is known for its apples because the climate is much cooler than the rest of mainland Australia (although apples do grow in the more southerly latitudes where the winters can get cold).  Here is Tasmanian apple cake. The granny smith apple was cultivated in Australia by Maria Anne Smith in 1868, so it should be your choice here. Stew peeled and sliced apples in a simple syrup until soft. You may add spices as you please but cinnamon is used in the cake. Length of stewing time is cook’s choice. They will cook more when baked in the cake.

Ingredients

½ cup butter (plus extra for greasing)
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup self-raising flour
½ cup plain flour
stewed apples
powdered cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF/175º C.

Grease an 8”x8” (20x20cm) cake pan liberally with butter.

Cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly. Add the egg and both kinds of flour and mix well.

Line the bottom of an 8″ x 8″ pan with half the mixture.

Add a layer of stewed apples and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Roll out the remainder of the dough mixture and cover the apples.

Bake until golden brown.

Turn out of the pan immediately, and let cool on a wire rack.

Goes well with egg custard.