Apple, cinnamon and honey cake

Today, I have a very special apple and honey cake for you – a sticky, sweet, moist, moreish and comforting treat. And there’s a story behind it with many threads, some recent, some ancient.

This month, some of my best blogging friends, Penny Alexander and Becky Goddard-Hill published a non-fiction children’s book on a subject very close to my heart: happiness.

Create Your Own Happy is an illustrated, interactive activity book that empowers children to take practical steps towards their own happiness and positive self-esteem.

It’s packed cover-to-cover with exercises that children can try for themselves, either independently or with friends, parents or even teachers. From planting a seed bomb outdoors, to making a happy playlist or building a recycling monster, there’s something for every type of personality and learning style in this book. And what I love most is that each activity doesn’t just include the idea and how to do it, but also explains why it works and suggests a series of further actions you might like to try.

Create Your Own Happy is aimed at children aged 7-11 and I think it caters for that age range really well. My daughter, J (6) and son, JD (10) have both been exploring the book over the last few weeks and both have engaged well but differently. JD has been using it as a toolkit for when he needs a boost in his mood, while J is using it to drive her creativity & revel in the things that bring her joy.

Page 152 of Create Your Own Happy challenges readers to learn about another culture by cooking up a feast in order to learn more about others, and foster a kind, inclusive outlook. This challenge is perfect for a foodie family like ours, it’s something the whole family can do together, with plenty of opportunity for conversation and exploration and a yummy treat to enjoy.

As we sat at the table together after school last week, the children mulled over which culture they might like to explore, narrowing down to Japanese, Polish or Jewish.

After some research into the cuisines using Pinterest and Google, the kids’ eyes widened at the sight of apple cakes, honey, braided bread (challah), fishcakes and other delicious treats, so we settled on making a cake inspired by Jewish culture. It seemed especially apt since the upcoming weekend happened to be Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year).

My father’s side of the family is Jewish, and of all my childhood memories, going to visit my paternal grandparents is one of the strongest. Once a month or so, we’d pile in the car and arrive at their bungalow where we’d be fussed over, photographed to within an inch of our lives and fed to bursting point with fishcakes, fresh salad and slices of challah slathered in butter, followed by tinned fruit salad and Tip Top (remember Tip Top?)

As the night drew in and we grew weary of playing Lemonade on our grandfather’s Apple Macintosh, we’d pile into my mum’s Volvo estate and roll home, stuffed full and clutching a homemade apple cake.

So apple cake has a lot of meaning for me, and a connection to the Jewish side of my heritage, but why apple and honey cake? Well, it’s traditional on Rosh Hashanah to enjoy eating apples dipped in honey to symbolise hope for a sweet new year, and many other apple and honey recipes are now enjoyed too.

Here’s how we made it, chatting about Jewish culture as we baked.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 200g caster sugar
• 75g slightly salted butter, room temperature
• 3 medium free-range eggs
• 200g self-raising flour, sieved
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 eating apple, cored and sliced into thin wedges
• 1 tbsp honey

To finish

• 2 tbsp runny honey

Instructions

Preheat the oven 180C (160C fan). Cream the butter and sugar together.

Beat in the eggs.

Add the flour and cinnamon and beat again.

Fold in the chopped apples.

Line the loaf tin and fill with the batter then top with a row of the sliced apple.

Drizzle with 1 tbsp honey.

Bake for 60 minutes or until the centre is set.

Set aside to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then skewer all over, avoiding the apple slices. Mix 2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp hot water together and spoon all over the cake.

Allow to cool, then cut into slices and serve with a cup of tea. Don’t expect it to last very long!

If you’d like to print this recipe to try later, just hit PRINT on the recipe card below.

Apple and honey cake

Course: cakes and bakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 10 people

Author: Emily Leary

This delicious apple and honey loaf cake is a sticky, sweet, moist, moreish and comforting treat.

Print

Ingredients

For the cake

• 200 g caster sugar
• 75 g slightly salted butter room temperature
• 3 medium free-range eggs
• 200 g self-raising flour sieved
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 eating apples peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 eating apple cored and sliced into thin wedges
• 1 tbsp runny honey

To finish

• 2 tbsp runny honey

Metric - Ounces

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven 180C (160C fan). Cream the butter and sugar together.
2. Beat in the eggs.
3. Add the flour and cinnamon and beat again.
4. Fold in the chopped apples.
5. Line the loaf tin and fill with the batter then top with a row of the sliced apple.

6. Drizzle with 1 tbsp honey.

7. Bake for 60 minutes or until the centre is set.

8. Set aside to cool in the tin for 5 minutes.

9. Skewer all over, avoiding the apple slices. Mix the 2 tbsp honey with 1 tbsp water together and spoon all over the cake.

10. Cut into slices and serve with a cup of tea. Don't expect it to last very long.

Recipe Notes

My grandmother always kept the cake for us in the fridge, so try it chilled overnight for a different but equally delicious experience. Give it a try!

And don’t forget to follow Create Your Own Happy on social media:

• Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/cyohappy/
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CYOHappy/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/CYOHappy

You might also like to see what other bloggers have been trying out:

• Amanda at Ana Mum Diary and her girls made a happiness mix.
• Tom from Diary of the Dad and his boys made a laughter kit.
• Rebecca from Here Come the Girls and her twins made a happy jar.
• Catherine at Growing Family and her daughter made seed bombs.
• Colette from We’re Going on an Adventure and her daughter practised learning to relax.

And there’s more fun to come! Check out who else will be trying out Create Your Own Happy activities in the coming days.

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