Apple loaf

Preheat the oven to 180 ºC and butter a 20 x 10 cm loaf tin with butter or spray with non-stick spray. Sift the cake flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda together. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Add the pecan nuts, finely grated apple and vanilla essence. Mix lightly, turn the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for about 1 hour or until golden brown and done or a testing skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the loaf. Cool slightly and turn out onto a wire rack.
Makes 1 medium-sized apple loaf.