food hits and misses

Sometimes I wonder if I was born a couple of decades too late - lots of things I love were more popular back in my grandmother's day. Not least of which is afternoon tea. I'm not talking about a couple of Tim Tams with a cuppa while the baby has a sleep either. What I really love is full tea - afternoon tea with savouries, cakes and scones - served on the good plates, and eaten with the nice set of cake forks.

Thanks to a visit from Banjo Lawson and Spincop, I got to indulge on Sunday afternoon. The menu - smoked salmon, cream cheese and caper sandwiches, cheese and relish sandwiches, cappucino melting moments, scones, spiced apple tea cake and cupcakes, courtesy of Spincop.

The tea cake was light and airy, and tasted fantastic. I'm looking forward to trying some variations, but here's how it was on the weekend.

Spiced Apple Tea Cake

2 green apples, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
150g butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tspn vanilla
2 cups SR flour
1 tspn ground cardamon
1/2 tspn cinnamon
1/2 tspn ground cloves

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C. Place half the apple in the base of a greased ring pan and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Cream the butter and caster sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine. Add the vanilla and remaining apple and mix well. SIft the flour and spices together. Fold in to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. Bake for around 55 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.