Apple almond tea cake

It was a National Tea Day in the UK yesterday. I felt like I had to bake something sweet to mark the occasion.
Reading Anca's recipe for Lamingtons, a coconutty chocolate treat from her childhood, made me dig out an old copy of Cakes & Slices Cookbook, a bookazine by The Australian Women's Weekly. I got it last year in the charity shop.
I didn't have any coconut, so Lamingtons would have to wait until I get hold of some, so I looked at what dessert from the book I might like to recreate.

I liked the sound of Apple almond cake, and had most of the ingredients.

I have adapted the recipe, adding polenta for texture and reducing the amount of sugar and butter. The grated apple makes it moist, but you can hardly taste it. I think next time I bake it, I will also add a finely chopped apple to make it more fruity.

Apple Almond Tea Cake
Ingredients:
1 medium apple, grated
100g caster sugar
100g butter (or margarine)
100g self-raising flour
80g polenta
2 medium eggs
100ml milk
a handful of flaked almonds

In a medium mixing bowl grate an apple (with peel on, if you want more fibre). Add the sugar, softened butter or margarine (I used margarine, as I've run out of butter, though I do prefer butter in cakes), flour and polenta and mix well.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add milk and mix until combined.
Grease a 20cm round spring cake tin (I also added a circle of parchment paper at the bottom, as my cake tin is quite old).
Pour the cake batter into the cake tin, and sprinkle a handful of flaked almonds on top. Place the tin in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 45+ minutes. Check if it's ready with a wooden toothpick.
You might also want to wrap a foil over the top of the cake tin closer to the end of cooking to prevent the almonds from burning.

This cake is lovely with tea or coffee.

Did you bake anything yesterday to celebrate the National Tea Day?

And if you're curious what tea I had with a slice of cake it is Whittard's Jasmine Dragon Pearls.