Birthdays

I made what some would consider a 'mistake' just over a year ago. I found out that a close friend is a huge fan of Apple and Wensleydale Cake (AWC from now on). I also found out that he hadn't had the pleasure of AWC for some years. The mission, which I not only chose to accept but actually created (more fool me), was to find a recipe for AWC and make it for the friend's birthday.

Idiot.

I found a recipe. I adapted the recipe to not include raisins, to dramatically increase the amount of AW, and to have manly chunks of AW instead of girly slices. I added extra cinnamon and mixed spice. I topped the cake with extra sugar before baking to give it that flaky, crunchy, make-a-mess-everywhere topping.

It was magnifique.

It was a rod for my back.

The following year another friend had Pecan Brownies made for her birthday. It was based on the Jamie Oliver recipe in the Red Nose Day book, only instead of the measly few chopped nuts he added, I substituted an obscene amount of toasted, chunkily-chopped pecans. I also omitted the cherries. There was no space left for cherries.

It was AWC-bloke's birthday at the weekend. Lo and behold, he received AWC again. This time the topping was a layer of sugar, a layer of cinnamon, another layer of sugar - all pressed down into the top to help stop it flaking so much. It worked.

I forgot to take a photo (again). Sorry. I'm going to make it for fatha's birthday in September but without the W (I prefer it without, and I suspect he'd rather eat the W on its own). Obviously, then, it will be Apple and Cinnamon Cake instead.

If only his birthday was sooner - I had to give the last cake away!

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Why is it that no matter how much pizza a bloke eats, how bloated he feels after eating it and how little movement he can cope with, he still has space for cake? Answers on a postcard...