Apple, Prune And Armagnac Cake With Streusel Topping

FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING
3 oz Self-Rising Flour
1 oz Butter; At Room Temperature
3 oz Demerara Sugar
2 oz Whole Almonds, Halved And
-Shredded But untoasted; To
-Finish

-FOR THE CAKE-
3 oz Self-Rising Flour
1/2 ts Baking Powder
2 oz Butter; Soft
1 oz Almonds; Ground
2 oz Caster Sugar
1 Egg; Size 1
2 tb Milk
2 oz Bramley Apple (Cooking
-Apples); Diced
Icing Sugar; To Finish
8 Inch Tin With A Loose Base,
-Greased And Lined with
-greaseproof paper

Pre-heat oven to gas mark 4, 350F, 180 C. Although the ready-to-use prunes
are not supposed to need soaking, we prefer to soak them just the same (the
advantage is having them ready stoned). Start the recipe the night before
you want to serve the cake by placing the prunes in a saucepan along with
the sugar and water and simmer them very gently for 15 minutes. After that
remove them to a bowl, add the armagnac, stir well, cover and leave
overnight.

When you’re ready to make the cake, begin with the streusel topping: place
the sifted flour and butter in a bowl and rub the butter in until the
mixture becomes crumb like. Then add the sugar, mixing it in evenly, and
after that sprinkle in one dessertspoon of cold water and fork the mixture
until it is coarse and lumpy. Leave it to one side with the almonds.

The cake mixture is very simple indeed – all you do is sift the flour and
baking powder into a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients (except for the
apple) then, using an electric hand whisk or a wooden spoon and some
old-fashioned elbow grease, beat the mixture together until smooth. After
that, fold in the apple, then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin.

Now arrange the prunes all over the mixture, then fork the streusel topping
over the prunes and finally sprinkle the shredded almonds evenly over the
surface. Place the cake on the centre shelf of the oven, bake it for one
hour, then remove from the oven. Leave it in the tin for 30 minutes before
turning it out to cool on a wire rack.