Currant Slices with Spiced Apple Syrup

It's 7th of the month and Sweet Punch time again. This time the hosts chose a challenge sans Chocolate (and honestly I missed Chocolate) as requested by a fellow participant. I'm not a huge fan of fruits in baking. Prepared this at the last moment as usual. Each time I bake something, I like taking my experiments to my office, or pack some and send through Abbas to his colleagues, or take some for my kids' caretakers at the Creche. Abbas doesn't like this habit of mine coz several times he is not left with any when he craves for baked goodies. He never eats anything unless and until he gets stuff plated in front of him. Co-incidentally he always asks for stuff only when they are over and never when they would be lying around waiting to be eaten. I don't like my food lying around for days together with no takers. So I love distributing them and enjoying accolades!!! Who doesn't?

This time, these slices vanished and I'm happy Abbas consumed several of them. I didn't have to serve it with apple syrup. They were good on their own. I am chalking out ways to use up the Apple Syrup.

Ingredients

Black Currants - 175 gms / 6 oz (I used raisins)

Cinnamon stick - 1' piece

Apple juice - 300 ml / 10 fl oz

Plain white flour - 175 gms / 6 oz

Baking powder - 2 tsp

Unsalted butter,softened - 175 gms / 6 oz

Caster sugar - 175 gms / 6 oz

Eggs - 3,beaten

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Oil or butter for greasing

Method

1. Place the currants, cinnamon stick and apple juice in a saucepan and bring to the boil.Remove from heat and leave to stand for several hours or overnight.Drain the currants thoroughly,pressing the juices through a sieve,reserving the juices and cinnamon stick.Set both the sieved currants and juice aside.

2. Preheat oven to 180C/350F or gas mark 4.

3. Grease and line a 12/9' rectangular tray bake tin [you could use a 9' square tin as well if you don't have a tray , I used a loaf pan]

4. Sift together flour and baking powder,reserve.

5. In a large bowl,cream together the butter and sugar till fluffy.

6. Mix in beaten eggs and vanilla extract and beat well.

7. Add the flour mix little at a time and beat well till you get a smooth batter.

8. Stir half of the reserved currants into the mixture and spoon into the prepared tin.Spread the remaining currants over the top.

9. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until risen,firm and golden brown.

10. Meanwhile,boil the reserved juice and cinnamon stick rapidly to reduce by about half, until slightly syrupy. Discard the cinnamon stick.

11. Cut the cake into slices and serve warm with the hot syrup spooned over.