APPLE BAR CAKE

This has become a firm favourite in our house and as a Mum I feel like it's an extra way to get the kids to eat more fruit (not that that's a real problem in our house). The added benefit is that the recipe not only makes 1 cake, but 2, which, take it from me you'll need because if I don't ration it out a bit, it has been known to disappear not long after I've made it. Personally I love this cake warm, straight out of the oven but it's delicious cold and can also be made up to four days ahead of when you need it, as long as you store it in an air-tight container.

                                                APPLE BAR CAKE (MAKES 2 CAKES)


125g Butter
3/4 cup Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cups S.R Flour
1/2 cup Milk
1 x 410g can pie apple


1. Ensure shelf is in middle of oven. Preheat to 180 degrees celsius.
   Grease two 8cm x 26cm bar pans with melted butter; cover bases with
   non-stick baking paper.


2. Place butter and sugar in small bowl of electric mixer, beat on medium speed 
   until pale and creamy. Break 1 egg into a jug (or glass), pour into butter 
   mixture. Beat on high speed until egg is mixed in. Do the same with the other 
   egg.


3. Put the butter mixture in a large bowl, then sift half the flour  into the
   bowl. Add half the milk  and stir until both flour and milk are mixed in. Then,
  do the same with the remainder of flour and milk.


4. Divide mixture into 4 portions. Spoon 1 portion into base of each pan; 
   smooth tops with a spoon.


5. Spread half the apples evenly over each pan. Spoon remainder of cake
   mixture over top.


6. Put pans in oven, cook for 40 mins. or until cakes are lightly browned.
   test cakes with a skewer to make sure they are cooked. When cooked,
   place on wire rack to cool for 5 mins. 


7. Turn cakes out of pans onto rack; peel away paper. turn cakes over and 
    allow to cool.


COOKING HINTS FROM VON:-


* I don't yet have the bar pans that this recipe calls for so I use 2 loaf pans
  instead.


* If preferred, spray bar pans with cooking spray instead of greasing with 
   butter.


* I usually make this recipe using a tin of apples but for the cakes pictured I 
   substituted tinned APPLE AND RASPBERRY, but any canned pie fruit
   would work AND taste as delicious as these cakes do!!

                                                   APPLE RASPBERRY BAR CAKE