Eight apple cake + Crumbs cookbook giveaway

I have long been a fan of the Crumbs blog written by sisters Claire and Lucy. They’re as funny as I’d like to be. And also rather glam in their cosmopolitan, London way. I think we could be friends if we lived nearer to each other. In fact I suspect we’d be very good at drinking wine and too many crisps in local pubs. But alas, I live over 100 miles away so I have to admire from afar. I was VERY excited to hear the girls had a cookbook deal. Long overdue. I love my copy. It’s full of easy recipes my kids want to eat, it makes me laugh, smile and nod in agreement at their tales of parenting. And it’s very easy on the eye; the design is spot on. Think Jamie Oliver typography with a dash of River Cottage illustrations. It’s ace and you can buy it here.

I was recently given a LOT of apples and the sisters came to the rescue with this very easy to make and even easier to eat cake using a whopping 8 apples. I enjoyed it cold with a cuppa but loved it most served warm with scalding custard and a little drizzle of caramel.

Commercial break: My book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, is out now… on Amazon, at Waterstones, at Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.

One year ago: Hazelnut cupcakes with Nutella buttercream and Red root reblochon bake and Simple banana cake

Two years ago: Cherry tomato frittata and Lemon brioche or Death by chocolate cake

Three years ago: Tiramisu profiteroles and Drunken cherry brandy mincemeat or Macarons

Four years ago: Easy cheesy pasta and Almond coated chicken and Mince pies for mince pie haters

Eight apple cake

• 8 eating apples – peeled, cored and chopped (you need about 450g of apples)
• Juice from one lemon
• ½ tspn ground cinnamon
• 200g plain flour
• 1 ½ tspn baking powder
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 6 level tablespoons of melted butter
• 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed
• one tablespoon of demerara sugar for topping

Heat oven to 180C; grease and line a 20cm square cake tin. Toss the apples in the lemon juice and ground cinnamon the minute they’re chopped. Combine the rest of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the eggs and butter and beat to make a stiff batter. Add milk if it seems a bit dry. Fold the apples (and any remaining lemon juice) into the batter. Pour into the cake tin, smooth down and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

I have 3 x  £16.99 (RRP) Crumbs books to giveaway to 3 lucky people. There are lots of ways to enter – see the Rafflecopter form below. The first way is just to leave a comment on this post. Easy peasy. Closing date 21st November 2014. How to enter:

• Complete the Rafflecopter form below to confirm your entries made via blog comments, Twitter, Facebook etc.
• This giveaway will close on 21st November 2014.
• Please read the rules below.
• Winners are announced on the Rafflecopter form after the prize has been claimed by the winner.
• First timers: Please watch how Rafflecopter works (video)! It is 46 seconds long. It explains everything.
• If no form is showing, hit refresh and it should appear.
• Complete the form – or your beloved entries will not go into the draw. And that would be such a waste of time.
• Mandatory entries need to be completed first – so leave a blog comment before you try and complete any of the other methods of entry.
• Want more chances to win? Come back daily after tweeting about the giveaway and fill the form in again.
• If you are viewing this by email you will need to click through to enter.

Rules and things:

• Open to anyone over the age of 18, UK only. Sorry to anyone younger or further afield.
• There are 3 x £16.99 (RRP) Crumbs books to giveaway to 3 people.  There’s no cash alternative to the prize and the prize is not transferable. No part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions.
• Instructions form part of the terms and conditions. Entries using any software or automated process to make bulk entries will obviously be disqualified. The winner will be picked at random using software and then contacted by email. If you win and then don’t respond to this email within 7 days then another winner will be picked so check your emails and your spam! The goodies will be delivered to the winner as soon as possible after you have sent me your delivery address.
• I am running this giveaway on behalf of CICO books who will be responsible for sending the prize to you by post should you win. Their decision is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into.
• This is where I get all stern – please don’t say you have liked the post and followed me on Twitter and Tweeted away like a Tweety thing if you haven’t as guess what? If you win I will check you did do the things you said you did. It’s only fair after all. And I do like fairness.