Sea Buckthorn, Apple and Ginger Cake

This is a not-too-sweet cake for those who prefer feisty flavours. It’s especially good served with a dollop of thick cream, or good-quality vanilla ice cream.
My recipe is inspired by one from the British Sea Buckthorn Company from which you can buy frozen or dried berries as well as sea buckthorn powder.
Makes about 8 slices

butter 150g
golden caster sugar 150g
golden syrup 150g
eating apples2, peeled and cored
preserved ginger 3 chunks, plus syrup from the jar
eggs 2, lightly beaten
milk 200ml
plain flour 250g
baking powder 1 tsp
ground ginger 2 tsp
frozen sea buckthorn berries 75g, plus extra for sprinkling

1) Grease and line a loaf tin measuring 23 x 10 x 7cm. Grease the lining paper too. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2) Put the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little.

3) While you wait for the butter mixture to cool, chop three-quarters of the apples and three-quarters of the preserved ginger into small chunks, no more than 1cm across. Set aside.

4) Whisk the lightly beaten eggs and the milk together, then mix with the butter mixture.

5) Tip the flour, baking powder and ground ginger into a sieve set over a bowl. Mix with your fingers then push through the sieve.

6) Pour the egg mixture into the sieved flour mixture, mixing well. The batter will be quite runny. If necessary, push through a sieve to get rid of any lumps.

7) Fold the apple and ginger chunks into the batter, along with the sea buckthorn berries. Pour into the prepared loaf tin.

8) Slice the rest of the apple and ginger fairly thinly. Arrange attractively on top of the batter.

9) Bake for 1¼–1½ hours, rotating the tin half-way through, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to settle in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack.

10) Drizzle with some syrup from the preserved ginger jar, then sprinkle a few sea buckthorn berries over the top.

© Christine McFadden, May 2023