But I WANTED the Kitchen Aid, I NEEDED it!

So I entered a competition yesterday to win a kitchen aid on this fantastic site www.thepioneerwoman.com I even showed James and said what color will I choose tomorrow when I win. Anything but pink was his reply. And mine, oh, I really liked the pink.... Anyway, all that future planning was in vain, because low and behold I didn't win. And I was shocked. Seriously disappointed.

I couldn't believe it.

I was channeling the winning vibe, I had talked to all the dead people I know (I knew them all alive once, except Janis Joplin), checked the stars, crossed my fingers, knocked on wood and submitted a couple of recipes. When the competition closed last night there were more than fifteen thousand plus entries. Undeterred, that kitchen aid was coming to Harlem. It is this kind of irrational hope that keeps casinos in business, although they normally combine irrational hope with alcohol, I was stone cold sober. Not sure how that reflects on me? I checked the winners and shockingly I ended up with zip, zilch, zero, nothing. Back to my 9.99 go like the clappers electric beaters, I go.

So I thought, okay I'm going to make the dessert part of my "losing" entry when I realized while making it, the recipe didn't even need an electric beater. In fact you only need a knife, a spoon and a fork! No machines at all required, not even my $9.99 go like the clappers electric beaters. I mean I could lie and say serve it with whipped cream but it's so much better with ice cream. I know, I know, I'm a genius.....

So here it is, no Kitchen Aid Needed Spiced Apple Cake with Maple Caramel.
1 tablespoon of butter
4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and diced
juice of 1 lemon
1 lb (450 g) self raising flour
1 lb (460 g) superfine (caster) sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie (mixed) spice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
a pinch of salt
4 1/2 oz unsalted butter,
3 eggs
1/4 cup light olive oil
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C/Gas 4)
Grease and line a 12 inch round tin cake with baking paper.

In a frying pan, heat the butter until it starts to foam. Then put add your apples and lemon juice and cook until the apples begin to soften. Don't worry if they brown a little.

Spread on a baking tray and cool.

Sift the flour, sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and salt together. Rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Fold into the dry ingredients. Lastly stir through the cooked apples. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 50-60 minutes.

To check if it is does, insert a skewer into middle and if it comes out clean - it's done!


Let the apple cake cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.



Maple Caramel:
1 cup maple syrup (the real McCoy not the immitation syrup)
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 1/4 oz (60 g) unsalted butter

Bring the maple syrup and cream to the boil in a small pan.


Simmer for 2-3 minutes, remove from the heat and beat in the butter.



Slice the warm apple cake into wedges and serve with vanilla bean ice cream and big delicious spoonful of maple caramel. I LOVE desserts that have hot elements and cold elements together.