Your book club or reading group is likely now up and running for the year, and what better way to give resolute readers a boost than with our very own 'Book Council Apple Cake' (now the Read NZ Te Pou Muramura Apple Cake), revived from our 2006 Book Group Compass. We assure you the cake has been recently tested and is as delicious as ever! Our thanks to Lois Daish for the excellent recipe.

2 large cooking apples

150g soft butter

150g caster sugar

2 large eggs

150g standard flour

1 tsp baking powder

Caster sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 180C. Butter the sides and line the bottom of a 22cm round cake tin with baking paper, or use a non-stick tin. Quarter, core, peel and thinly slice the apples and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and beat in the eggs. Sift the flour and baking powder together and beat lightly into the mixture. Spread half the mixture in the cake tin and arrange the apple slices on top. Sprinkle with about a heaped tablespoon of caster sugar and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Use a spatula to spread the remaining mixture over the apples. Don't worry if it looks a bit uneven and messy. Bake for about 35 minutes until the cake is golden and the apples are tender when poked with a fine fork. Serve warm or cold.