Cake! Wholemeal Apple and Orange Cake (Nigel Slater Recipe)

After all that reading, writing and researching, I thought it was time for some cake!
 

 
Wholemeal Apple and Orange Cake
 
Ingredients
 
220g butter 

210g light muscovado sugar

4 eggs

250g wholemeal flour (I used self raising)

 lightly heaped teaspoon of baking powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon (I used Holy Lama cinnamon spice drops rather than ground)

200g apples (peeled weight)

100g sultanas (recipe says you can use raisins)

125g orange marmalade

finely grated zest of an orange

Demerara sugar for sprinkling on top

 
20cm round cake tin with a removable base, lined with paper.
 
Method

1. Oven set to 160C/gas mark 4.
2. Beat butter and muscovado sugar together until light, fluffy and pale coffee-coloured.
3. Lightly beat the eggs with a fork.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon.
5. Core and roughly chop the apples into 1cm square pieces.
6. Mix the chopped apples with the sultanas and marmalade.
7. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time to the creamed butter and sugar, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture curdles.
8. Gently but firmly fold in the rest of the flour.
9. Fold in the fruit and marmalade mixture, along with the grated orange zest.
10. Spoon into the prepared cake tin, scatter a fine layer of Demerara over the top and bake for an hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out moist but without any cake mixture sticking to it.
11. Cool before serving.

Verdict

I made this 3 days ago and the first couple of pieces were really lovely, although I was a little disappointed that the flavour wasn't more 'orangey'.

We had a piece this afternoon and it has become rather stodgy, probably because there is a load of fruit in.

I would definitely make this again, but it would be where I knew it would be eaten within 2 days.