The Swedes use the word mysig to describe the feeling of coming into a warm house, after a fresh day outdoors, curling up on the sofa in front of a warm fire. Clearly a cake enhances the mysig feeling!
This is a homely cake with a rich buttery crumb, covered in spiced apples interspersed with a tart spurt from the blackberries. The edges are a bit browned and crispy, while the inside is tender. The batter is a cinch to whip up. The only fiddly bit is peeling and cutting the apples and arranging them neatly over the batter. You can certainly make this cake with only apples, which I do often. It would also taste lovely with pears and raspberries.
About 8 to 9 slices
8 tablespoons butter (225 grams), at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 apples, preferably of a sour cooking variety
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/3 cup golden granulated sugar
1 cup blackberries
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190C).
Generously butter an 8 inch square baking dish. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until
fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until well
incorporated. Add the flour, baking
powder, salt 
Peel the apples, slice into
quarters and take out the cores. Slice each apple quarter into three or four
slices, depending on how large your apple is.
Put the apple pieces into a bowl and add the cinnamon, cardamom and
golden sugar. Mix so that each
slice of
apple is coated.
Press the apple slices into the cake batter in an overlapping
patter in 3 to 4 rows. Sprinkle the blackberries over the top. If the blackberries are very sour, you can sprinkle a tablespoon more golden sugar on top of them. Bake for about 45
minutes, until the cake is golden brown, darker at the edges and a knife
pressed into the batter comes out clean.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Gild the lily with a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of custard sauce.
P.S. Sorry about the terrible format! The editor on blogspot seems to get worse and worse.
