Apple and Cinnamon Cake

Hello all and thanks for the warm welcome baking buddy! I thought it would be best to mark my first post with a scrummy recipe, so today I baked a cake from one of my face recipe books by Mary Berry.

Tip: The recipe says to bake for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours but I baked this cake for only 45 minutes and it was slightly overcooked so try cooking for 35-40 minutes at first and keep a close eye on it...

Apple and Cinnamon Cake

Ingredients:
225 g soft margarine (butter works fine)
225 g light muscovado sugar
3 medium eggs
100 g walnut pieces, chopped (I'm not a massive fan of walnuts so I left these out)
100 g sultanas
225 g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
400 g cooking apples, peeled, cored and grated
1 tsp ground cinnamon
light muscovado sugar for sprinkling
extra chopped walnuts for sprinkling (optional)
icing sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease and base line a 9 inch (23 cm) deep round cake tin with greased greaseproof paper.
2) Measure the margarine, sugar, eggs, chopped walnuts, sultanas, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and beat well for about 2 minutes until thoroughly blended.
3) Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin then spread the grated apple and ground cinnamon in an even layer on top. (I fancied a nice layer of apple so I thinly sliced the apple instead of grating it, but its down to personal preference)
4) Spread the remaining cake mixture on top, level the surface then sprinkle generously with light muscovado sugar and walnuts.
5) Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours or until the cake is well risen and golden brown.
6) Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.
7) Dust with icing sugar to serve.