Homemade Apple Crumble Cake

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease the sides of a 20cm/8in square cake tin and line its base with baking paper.

To prepare the crumble topping, combine the flour and butter, rubbing them together with your fingertips until it forms a breadcrumb-like texture. Alternatively, you can pulse them together in a food processor. Stir in the sugar and refrigerate the mixture until required.

Next, to create the cake batter, whisk together the sugar and butter until they're smooth and creamy. Add eggs one by one, along with half the flour after the first egg. Then, gently fold in the remaining flour and baking powder.

Peel the apples, quarter them, remove the cores, and cut each quarter into four slim slices. Toss the apple slices in a mixture of lemon zest, juice, and ground cinnamon.

Transfer the cake batter to your prepared cake tin. Arrange the apple slices on top and generously layer the crumble topping over the apples. Bake the cake for about 40 minutes, or until a testing skewer comes out clean.

Allow the cake to rest and cool in the tin for a good 10 minutes, before carefully transferring it onto a wire rack. Turn the cake upside down onto another rack so it ends up crumble-side up.

Serve the cake either warm or at room temperature. Dollop some cream for added indulgence.