Dorset Apple Cake by LittleLottieLoves
It is that time of year again when apples start tumbling from the trees in abundance. Crisp, crunchy and charmingly weather-blemished, the first bite of an English apple embodies everything I love about the seasons. There really is no sight more pleasing, no feeling more virtuous, than filling a crate with the season's harvest and contemplating all the wonderful ways with which to do it justice.
Not long ago I visited the astoundingly beautiful 17th century Fenton House in Hampstead. Some 300 years old, their walled orchard is home to more than 30 varieties of apples including the likes of Worcester Pearmain and Devon Quarrendon. Teasingly close to perfection I walked around in awe picturing the harvest they’d have on their hands in just a few weeks time.
A few weeks later and right on cue the wildflower orchard at Deans Court is rolling with a mass of rusty red varieties. If your tastebuds crave something sharp and tart, the Beauty of Bath is at its best right now. Picked straight from the tree it’s one of life's simple pleasures.
Each year at Deans Court they put the season’s glut to good use by pressing and producing litres of their own apple juice. As well as rustling up bake after bake of delicious Dorset apple cake for their Squash Court café. Food really is one of the simplest ways to savour the seasons, and Dorset apple cake will forever be a highlight on my culinary calendar.
Textured with ground almonds, this topsy-turvy, sugar-dusted sponge provides comfort to these slightly chillier days. Sliced and served in the early autumn sunshine, it is reason alone to head back to the country for the weekend. After all, nothing brings good company together quite like cake.
A mix of ground almonds, apples, sugar, butter and flour, you can find my favourite recipe for Dorset Apple Cake here.
This week's blog was written by Lottie Pratt. A West Country girl at heart, Lottie spent her early 20s in beautiful Bath before moving East for a spell in the big smoke. With an eye for the simple things, she bakes, creates and blogs about the slower side of London life. To read more visit her blog at littlelottie.co.uk or instagram @littlelottieloves.
