Yesterday was Alfred's Day

I tried, really I did. Tried very hard to resist but when you're home and, well, tempted, what can a girl do?

So I baked a cake. But fate was cross with me so I missed the timer and forgot about it in the oven.

Yes, like Alfred the Great, I burned my cake*. But it was still edible. Just.

This is a traditional Welsh cake called Teisen Lap, meaning cake on a plate. As you'd expect from the name it's a flattish cake. My gran used to make hers on a large metal plate. My version is slightly different from the recipe because I add apple chunks. (Part of my five a day?)

The recipe I use is from The Love Spoon. As you can see my copy has fallen apart with age and use.

* According to legend, back in 878, when King Alfred was fleeing from the Vikings he hid in a peasant cottage. The old woman asked him to watch her cakes - small loaves  - that were cooking on the fire. He was so absorbed in his own problems he forgot, the cakes burned and the woman scolded him. You can read more about Alfred here.