Apple and Blackberry 'Transition' Cake

Summer may be ending, but that doesn't mean we can't cling onto it! This creation has that Summertime feel with the blackberries and the apples. Lazy August days, bank holiday weekends lying in grass. A Sunday trip to the pub at 3pm for a chilled Pinot Grigio. However, the hint of nutmeg and cinnamon gives it almost a transitional feel, as if Autumn is just around the corner. As Carrie Bradshaw once said, ''There comes a time when you can almost feel the seasons click'' - this cake very much embodies the spirit of that. 

Happy Transitioning! ;)

Time required : 1 hour 20 mins (15 mins prep, 50 mins bake, 15 mins decorate)

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter, softened and cubed

200g light muscovado sugar

200g self-raising flour

3 eggs, beat them in a separate bowl 

1.5 tablespoons of Lyles Golden Syrup 

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 baking apple, fined chopped

100g blackberries

4 heaped tablespoons of icing sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons of milk (any)

Method.  

1. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees (fan) / gas mark 4. Prepare your cake tin by rubbing butter around the base and the sides to help the finished cake slide out easily without leaving any bits. I used a bundt tin for this as it creates a quirky and show-stopping cake, hell-bent on giving guests that wow-factor that baking is all about. Beat the first eight ingredients together until you have a thick smooth mixture. Don't worry if it appears a little too thick - the moisture from the oncoming fruit will balance this. Once done, gently fold in your chopped apples and 100g of blackberries until well-combined. 

2. Carefully spoon the mixture into your tin and press down so flat and consistent across the surface. Allow to bake for 50 minutes. The cake upon completing the bake will have a lovely dark golden colour across the top (or the bottom in this case!) insert a skewer into the cake and if this comes away clear, you can be confident it is cooked through. Leave to cool completely. 

3. Make your icing! Put the last three ingredients into a small bowl (a cereal bowl will suffice) and mix together until you have an icing that is not watery but thick enough to hold some shape - you may need to add more icing sugar so have some extra to hand in the event of this occurring. When the cake is cooled, pour your fabulously zesty icing over the top of your creation in any way you seem fit and decorate - in this instance I chose sliced lemons and picked some pineapple-flavoured mint from my garden - there is no right or wrong!

If kept in a sealed container, I would recommend eating within 1 week.