Apple Sponge Pudding

Serves 4

A delicious traditional apple sponge pudding, soft tender stewed apples baked with a soft, moist sponge. This dessert is quick and easy perfect if you want to throw something together at the last minute. The sponge is a classic Victoria sponge recipe while all you need to do with the apples is stew them.

This is a wonderful warm dessert that is comforting but still light, fluffy and fresh, perfect for the cool autumn months, when you want something comforting to take the edge of the cold, windy weather.  For those of you with an apple tree in your garden, make the most of the apples don’t waste them.  Apples are in season from September so ready for autumn. You can use any type of apples for apple sponge pudding; if you are using a sour cooking apple add more sugar if you are using sweet apple use less, taste the stewed fruit to make sure it is to your liking before you top the fruit with the sponge mix. If you have too many apples, you could stew the fruit and freeze them, so next time you want an apple sponge all you will need to do is make the sponge and you don’t waste anything.

Apple sponge pudding is perfect served hot with custard or ice cream and is a fantastic dessert to end a family meal with. 

Ingredients

• 450g apples
• ½ lemon
• 50g dark brown sugar
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 40ml water
• 110g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 110g caster sugar, plus extra for dredging
• 2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
• 110g self-raising flour

Method

1. Core peel and slice the apples, add to a sauce pan, squeeze the lemon juice in, add the brown sugar and cinnamon then pour in the water. Simmer until apples are tender, should take about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Lightly grease an oven proof dish.
3. Pour the apple mix into the dish.
4. Preheat an oven at 180C.
5. Whisk all the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl to make a sponge mix.
6. Pour the sponge mix over the apples and bake for 20 minutes, until sponge is lightly golden.