April is Pink Lady time!

We are already picking Granny Smith and by the second week of April we will start picking Pink Lady apples! Look out as Persimmons will be following later in April.

Pick Your Own apples experiences will be running during school holidays but bookings are essential. Check availability via the ‘What’s On’ page within our website, www.darkes.com.au

Pink Lady apples are awesome to juice, cook or eat fresh. Here’s a heartwarming farm recipe to inspire you to start baking.

Apple cake (with Rum)

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

125g unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons dark rum (optional)

2-3 large pink lady apples, peeled, cored and cut into big chunks if you are just folding them in. (Or slices if you’d rather make pretty patterns)

Method

1. Begin by combining the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Then in another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (by hand or with an electric mixer).

3. Add the eggs one at a time.

4. Beat in vanilla (and rum if you wish to add a bit of a twist)

5. Add the dry ingredients and mix together.

6. Fold in chopped apples.

7. Scoop into your baking tin. (Alternatively you can layer the apple in slices on bottom of the tin in pretty patterns or poke apple into batter in pretty patterns.)

8. Grease, flour and line with baking paper on the bottom of a baking tin or a 23cm springform tin.

9. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar.

10. Bake for 40 mins at 180°C until brown on top.

Serve warm with dollops of double cream or vanilla ice-cream.

Visit www.darkes.com.au