Kentish Cobnut Cake

Kentish Cobnut Cake

450g/1lb self-raising flour

225g/8oz butter, melted, plus extra butter for greasing

1 tbsp ground ginger

225g/8oz light soft brown sugar

6 free-range eggs, beaten

110g/4fl oz double cream

150g/5oz cobnuts, shells removed, finely chopped

For the apple compôte

50g/2oz butter

4 apples, peeled, cores removed, finely chopped

2-3 tbsp caster sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

200ml/7fl oz double cream, lightly whipped, to serve

For the cobnut cake, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 2. Grease a 1kg/2lb 2oz loaf tin with butter. In a bowl, mix together the flour and melted butter until well combined. Add the ground ginger, sugar and beaten eggs and beat until well combined. Add the cream and mix until the mixture forms a smooth, thick batter. Stir in the chopped cobnuts until well combined. 

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, gently spreading the batter into all the corners and shaking the tin to make sure the mixture has settled. Transfer the loaf tin to the oven and bake for 1-1¼ hours, or until the cake has risen and is golden-brown, and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Set the cake aside to cool slightly in the tin.

Meanwhile, for the apple compôte, heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the apples, caster sugar and ground cinnamon and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the apples have broken down slightly and the mixture has thickened

 To serve, cut the cake into six to eight slices (it is best served still warm). Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and a spoonful of warm apple compôte.