Blackberry and Cinnamon Cake

   Autumn/Winter has set in. Finally! I can't be dealing with hot sticky trains. Arriving to work in my summer clothes only to freeze under the air conditioning through an eight hour shift. I'm that excited for the colder climates, I've already purchased some winter staples. Staples such as 1 kg of mini marshmallows for all those hot chocolates and a bear onesie. Completely necessary of course.

   And so, in order to welcome chilly mornings and chilly toes, I decided to bake something cosy and warming. Cinnamon being one of my favourite spices, makes me feel a little festive. Like wearing my favourite cashmere winter scarf. But as its not quite winter enough, yet, and I can't get away with wearing it just yet, I baked a cake with cinnamon in.

  This cake could have been a disaster...I forgot to add a raising agent. It did have a lovely streusel topping with all the blackberries peaking out the top before baking. So, in a desperate attempt to salvage my efforts, I gave the cake batter-filled tin a sprinkling of baking powder. A quick stir, ruining that precious streusel, and a prayer to the raising gods á la Christine of the Great British Bake Off!

   Any cakes that resemble a pancake don't get featured on here. There have been one or two. But, as this one turned out to be a success, a surprising one...here it is. Complete with streusel topping in case you decide to bake it the regular way. And home grown blackberries!

Blackberry and Cinnamon Streusel Cake
(Adapted from a Nigella's community recipe)
     5 oz unsalted butter, softened
     5 oz superfine sugar
     5 oz ground almonds
     5 oz self raising flour
     1 egg
     1 tsp ground cinnamon
     2 tsp vanilla extract
     8 oz blackberries
     35 g plain flour
     25 g sugar
     25 g butter
     Icing sugar and cinnamon for dusting

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a 23 cm springform tin.
• Combine all the ingredients except the blackberries and beat well. Spread the mixture into the tin with a rubber spatula and then scatter the blackberries over.
• Make the streusel topping by rubbing together plain flour, sugar and butter and scatter over the blackberries.
• Bake for about 1 hour until golden and springy.
• Cool in the tin before adding a dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon.