Apple cream cake

Preheat oven to 190°C and prepare a 20cm round tin by lightly buttering the sides and lining the base with a circle of baking paper.

Combine the sugar, cinnamon and walnuts for the filling in a small bowl. Peel apple, cut in half, remove core and thinly slice.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and a pinch of salt.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and add the eggs one at a time, beating well. Add the vanilla and the lemon zest and beat again.

Fold the sifted dry ingredients into the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream.

Spread half the cake mixture evenly in the prepared tin, arrange the sliced apple evenly over the top and sprinkle over half of the filling mixture. Top with the rest of the cake mixture, using a wet hand to push it out gently over the apples. Lastly, sprinkle the top of the cake evenly with the remaining filling.

Bake for about 1 hour, rotating the tin after 35 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then put a paper towel over the top of the cake, turn it out onto a cooling rack and then turn onto another rack so it is right-way up.

Dust the cooled cake with icing sugar and serve in slices with coffee – with a little more sour cream on the side if desired.