Dolce far niente - the sweetness of doing nothing, except perhaps, eating one more slice of apple cake!

Not the grand, show-stopping kind of dessert. Just a humble cake—soft, buttery, scented with cinnamon, and studded with sweet apples that slowly melt into the batter as it bakes. The best part begins long before the first bite. It's in the ritual of unwinding in the kitchen

Peeling apples - Measuring flour without being too precise. Sneaking an extra pinch of cinnamon because it feels right. Then comes the waiting—the hardest and most wonderful part. Standing by the oven door, checking every few minutes, watching the cake rise a little higher, the top turning from pale gold to that perfect crusty brown. Soon, the entire house changes. The warm fragrance of butter, apples, cinnamon and vanilla drifts through every room, making everything feel softer somehow. The day's worries seem quieter. Time slows down.

A thick slice, still warm from the oven. A cup of black coffee beside it. The contrast is perfect—the sweetness of the cake, the slight bitterness of the coffee, the tender crumb giving way to caramelized edges. No fancy frosting - No elaborate decoration. Just a reminder that some of life's greatest luxuries are the simplest ones: a homemade cake, a quiet afternoon, and the pleasure of creating something with your own hands.

Things you will need

• 2 medium apples, peeled and diced

• 180g all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon powder

• A pinch of salt

• 115g unsalted butter, softened

• 150g caster sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 120ml milk

  
  

For the Apple Toss

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• ½ tsp cinnamon

  
  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease an 8-inch cake tin.

2. Toss the diced apples with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

4. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.

6. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk until just combined.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and line the apples on top.

8. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

9. Let cool slightly before serving.

   
   

Bon Appetite!