- 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
- 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.