Cider and Cinnamon Cake

Yesterday our friends Wayne (@Brazly) and Vicki (@MrsPetticoat) came round for tea. This means two things:

1. I will make enough food to feed an entire army. 
2. I wait until everyone has just lost that 'full as a bugger' feeling, then I pounce with cake!

Vicki shares my enthusiasm/obsession for cinnamon. This means I can really go to town with the stuff! I decided to make one of my old faithfuls for last nights soiree. I call it an old faithful, yet I have never made it the same way twice. I generally look for inspiration in the supermarket booze aisle! This cake is so easy to adapt it's ridiculous. It's also exceptionally easy to make and behaves very well in the oven. Granted, it's not the prettiest cake in the world, but it packs a punch with flavour. 

It has a lovely soft crumb and retains moisture well, but the addition of wholemeal flour adds a little texture to the cake. I generally serve this as either a wedge with a cup of tea, or (as I did last night) with a little vanilla ice cream.

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

• 100g unsalted butter - softened
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs - beaten
• 100g self raising flour
• 100g wholemeal plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1.2 tsp mixed spice
• 170ml cider (feel free to substitute with pear cider, ginger beer etc). I used Magner's Spiced Apple with Honey.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas 4/180 C
2. Grease and line a 7 inch cake tin
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
4. Beat in the eggs a bit at a time (add a tablespoon of the flour if it curdles)
5. Add the flours, bicarbonate of soda and ginger to a bowl
6. Sift in in 3 batches, alternating with the cider. Fold into the mix gently
7. Put the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 minutes in the centre of the oven.
8. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.