Apple cake with lemon, chocolate and fennel seeds.

We’re currently having a late burst of summer. A few days of glorious weather are raising the spirits and encouraging me to grab the last chance for some alfresco living, before autumn sets in. Hence the fact I’m writing this sat in the garden with a mug of tea and the last slice of the weekend’s cake by my side.

A clear sign that autumn can’t be far off is the fact that teaser trailers for the new series of The Great British Bake Off have started. Every year my first thought is surely it must be too soon, but one episode in I know I’ll be as hooked as ever and desperately trying to find time to bake as many of the challenges as possible.

Eating the slice of cake now was one of those should I or shouldn’t I moments. It’s far too hot to bother baking today, not something you’ll hear me say too often, so enjoying the last slice this afternoon means there’ll be nothing this evening.

As this weeks #TwitterBakeAlong challenge was #CakeWeek I took the opportunity to make one of our favourites. I’m sure if I was to scroll back over all of my posts there have been numerous cakes described as being one of our favourites, but I can honestly say this one gets baked more than most. The ingredients list may be relatively simple and the method straightforward, but there’s something about the contrasting flavours of sweet apple, bitter chocolate, tangy lemon and aniseed that make every mouthful a treat.

I found this recipe in the Honey & Co baking book and they take the flavour combination even further by soaking the apple pieces in whisky, as well as lemon. I’ve done this on a couple of occasions but the cake is still a success if you choose to think of the alcohol as an optional extra.

I like to use fennel seeds in savoury and sweet dishes as I find the hint of aniseed works in both. To make the most of their flavour I gently toast them in a dry pan and then crush them in a pestle & mortar, before they’re added to the dish. A bonus is they fill your kitchen with their glorious scent.

Ingredients

• Zest and juice of a lemon
• 2 apples diced. The apples don’t need to be peeled
• 40g bitter chocolate
• 2 eggs
• 160g caster sugar
• 130ml vegetable oil…I use either rapeseed or sunflower
• 150g plain flour
• 1.5tsp baking powder
• 1tsp ground nutmeg
• 1tsp fennel seeds
• pinch of salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 and line a 1kg loaf tin
• Put the lemon zest and juice into a bowl and add the diced apple. This is where you would also add the optional 2tbsp of whiskey if using.
• Chop the chocolate into slivers and put them in the fridge until needed.
• In a large bowl or mixer whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and puffed up. Then, while still whisking, slowly pour in the oil until combined.
• Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, fennel seeds, and salt. Once these are combined fold in the diced apple, along with the juice it has been soaking in. Finally, fold in the chilled chocolate slivers.
• Transfer the batter to the tin and bake for 35 minutes. Then turn the tin around in the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes.
• When the cake is done your kitchen will be full of the smell of baked apple and a knife pressed into the centre of the cake should come out clean.

The fact I’m nibbling a slice three days after I baked it is proof that this cake can be stored for days in an airtight container. I’d even go as far as to suggest that the flavours get stronger. Maybe I should have left the last slice for this evening.