Can’t make the trip to Ilkley, Harrogate or York to visit the renowned Bettys Tea Rooms? Try out LSi’s very own light apple cake sponge recipe.

Ingredients

125g of butter

125g of caster sugar

3 large eggs separated

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp of baking powder

3 small firm dessert apples

2 tbsps of flaked almonds

Equipment

Large Bowl

Electric Whisk (if you have one)

Wooden Spoon

Zester

Sharp Knife

Sieve

Metal Spoon

Peeler

Cake Tin

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C or gas mark 4.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and the sugar until pale and fluffy (here I tend to use an electric whisk, but you can do it by hand!)

Next you need to separate your eggs. The best way to do this is not with two bowls, but three. One for the white, one for the yolk, and one for cracking the eggs over. This extra bowl means if you break the yolk of one egg accidentally, you won’t ruin the others.

Add the egg yolks one by one to the sugar and butter mixture, stirring between each, followed by the lemon juice and zest.

Sieve in the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt then gently fold into the mixture.

In a large clean (preferably glass) bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. (The test to see that they are ready is the classic trick of holding it upside down over your head)

Add a small amount of the egg whites into the rest of the mixture and gently fold in.

After slackening the mixture like this, you are now ready to spoon the rest of the egg whites into the mixture, the best way to do this is by using a large metal spoon a little at a time. (This way you will knock as little air out as possible, leaving your sponge light and fluffy.)

Now, peel, core and half the apples, with the curved side facing upward, cutting about 90% of the way through make lots of thin incisions.

Spoon the mixture into a prepared tin.

Place the apple halves on top in a decorative manner and push them into the mixture slightly then sprinkle the almonds on top.

Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until golden and firm (the sponge should bounce back when touched and when speared the knife should come back clean).

Then enjoy!

Read the Peckish recipe for Chocolate Macaroons here.

Genevieve Levy