Summer in Winter! Blackberry, Apple and Almond Cake

This recipe is so delicious and makes your tummy feel all happy. Unfortunetly I didn't have chance to take a picture, the cake dissapeared faster than I could whip out my camera.

It is comfort in a bowl, especially when it cold and raining. It has all summer/autumn flavour but all the warmth of a lekker hot pudding.

I was invited to a dinner party on Saturday Evening and was told to bring dessert. Funny enough I really enjoy cooking but finding the perfect dessert is always a mission. What will compliment the host's dinner, will it be light or heavy, really sweet or rich. Sigh!! My hubby is not a sweet tooth and he normally loves his fridge tarts. Fridge tart in the middle of winter, I don't think so!  All I did know was that I wanted something that was warm and most definately not chocolate. I had been way to many chocolate puddings lately! After surfing and looking at ideas I sat with two options.

A sticky pear and ginger cake with brandy sauce or apple and blackberry cake..... I could not decide, I even bought all the ingredients for both. What ended being the decision maker was that I could not find any ginger preserve. Note to self: Find a recipe on how to make your own ginger preserve!.

I tweeked it and it came out to be the perfect pudding. The sweet and tartness from the apples and blackberries agains a suprising light cake batter with a crunch of the almonds.

So here goes:

Abby's Summer Winter Hot Pudding. LOL!!

1 x 410g KOO's Sliced Pie Apple  - larger slices cut in half

(Yes, yes I know Gordon Ramsay will most probably bite my head off or in His case swear at me for using tin fruit .(LOL)

1 x 410g KOO's Pear Halves - cut into smaller pieces

45 ml demerara sugar

400g blackberries

(I used Hillcrest - frozen berries which I just let them defrost, I added some blackberry Liqueur while they where thawing.  Most prob a tot - thats all I had left)

150g butter , softened

150g caster sugar

3 whole eggs plus 1 yolk, beaten

150g ground almonds

7.5ml  vanilla extract

(you can use almond, but Hubby doesn't like Almond Essence or Mazzipan. Not my fault someone used to shoot stink bugs with their BB guns when they were kids!!)

100g self-raising flour

7.5 ml baking powder

a good handful or two of flaked almonds

icing sugar , for decoration

The Method:

Most importantly preheat the oven to 180C. I always forget to do this.

Put the apples, pears, blackberries and demerara sugar in a pan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves. (If you are using fresh apples and pears, cook them until soft and then add the blackberries just before tipping into the oven dish) Tip into an ovenproof dish, approximately 20cm x 30cm and cool.

Beat the butter and sugar together then gradually beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the ground almonds and vanilla extract. Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder and fold in.  (I somehow missed that and used my egg beater and beated it. Oh well still came out good!)

Spoon the almond mixture over the cooked fruit then level out. (I find spooning the mixture and putting it over different spots makes it easier to level out.) Sprinkle over the flaked almonds. Bake for 40-45 minutes

(Yes read it again 40-45min and that is +-the amount of time mine was in the oven for) or until risen, golden and cooked through.

Dust with icing sugar to finish.

Serve it with a nice homemade custard. (Recipe to follow).