Apple, fruit & nut torte

"The sun did not shine.
It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the house
All that cold, cold, wet day."

Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

The soft cotton sheets peeked out from in between my fingers, clutched tightly within tiny fists. My eyes grew wide with anticipation as I clung to every word, told brilliantly in different voices and tones. Of all the childhood memories I have of my mother, her role as storyteller is what I treasure most.

My love of books was possibly my first love; I was reading on my own before the age of four. But not a dozen books read alone could compare to the one or two read by my mother some nights whilst my brother and I were tucked into bed eagerly awaiting a tantalising tale. No one could tell a story like my mother. I can still hear the low and slightly effeminate English accent of Moon Face or the lyrical purr of Dr Seuss - she made each character leap off the page and created a magical world for us to visit and dream about. One day, I hope to be able to do the same for my children, to not simply read aloud, but to bring each story to life, like my mother did for me.

I want to take this moment to thank my mother for those special nights, so precious in my memory, and to wish her a very Happy 45th Birthday. You might recall this was the cake I made for you on Mother's Day, your birthday cake currently waits patiently for your return home so you may breathe a wish upon its crust and slice a piece to eat.

ease: 4.5/5.
prep time: 20min.
cooking time: 1 hour & 10mins.
total: 1 hour & 30mins.

taste: 4.5/5. A celebration of fruit and nuts.

The cake itself is sweet and soft with a glorious crunchy crust with bursts of zesty cinnamon. This gives way to the wonderfully tart and juicy apple slices. They linger on your tongue allowing you to savour their flavour before the plump sweet raisins come into play with the crunchy pine nuts. Everything is then tied off neatly with the gorgeous hazelnuts.There may be quite a few flavours but they do not overwhelm, instead they create interest and make each mouthful different to the last whilst still allowing the apples to shine.

Hubby was elated with this cake and I was too.
Mine cooked in 1 hour.

would I make it again: Yes.


recipe: Apple Torte