Chaos, disorganisation, tingling excitement mingled with apprehension, reflection whilst peering into the future, cardboard packing boxes impatiently waiting...a pending house move.

Frequently moving house as a child and this nomadic lifestyle remaining. During past times, moving was a local affair, usually within the same county. This bore little impact on myself but my parents dealt with yet another house to clean (why oh why didn't the previous occupants ever do this?) then re-decorate. For me, it was thrilling, to await sleeps arrival in a new bedroom with its unfamiliar sights and smells then new friends to meet in the morning.

Travel further afield, moving about the United Kingdom and then excitedly to Scandinavia and Europe. We never really intended to stay – like many, we packed our bags and boarded the plane for a 3 yeas sojourn and as so many more, those initial years become longer and longer until the prospect of ever returning 'home' becomes a vanishes. Home is where the heart rests, friends are made and experiences shared and enjoyed. Home for the children is here, where they have grown up, too young to ever remember their own country of birth and early formative years.

And now I ponder yet another move but this time just a few kilometres away from our current home … but the upheaval, sorting and packing remains the same. On a positive note, a wonderful opportunity to sort through cupboards and shelves, discovering hidden treasures and throwing away clutter and rubbish.

But, astonishing is the number of Christmas puddings one can accumulate and the plethora of fancy cup cake cases I've hoarded for 'special' treats (French supermarkets sells only plain white), assorted tubs of fancy sprinkles to accompany – mental note: plan a tea party, then rummaging slightly further, an enormous jar of Christmas mincemeat. And this is where I stopped, tea-party on hold with a sweet idea formulating to bake with the glistening preserved fruits: a mincemeat crumble cake. Warming aromas from the oven as it baked and ever-so-slightly unseasonal in sunny May, but a beautifully moist and flavoursome cake to slice and enjoy.

cake

• 150g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150g self raising flour
• 3 or 4 good spoonfuls of pre-prepared sweet mincemeat

topping

• 100g self raising flour
• 50g unsalted butter
• 50g demerara sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 175 C
Grease and line a 20cm round sandwich cake tin.

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then beat in the eggs, one at a time. If the mixture begins to separate (curdle), then add a tablespoon of flour which will help to stabilise the mixture again.

2. Using a metal spoon fold (a cutting action) the flour into the mixture and tip into the prepared tin, smoothing out with a knife then spooning the mincemeat evenly over the surface.

3. Prepare the crumble by rubbing the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs then stir in the sugar. Sprinkle over the mincemeat then bake for about 50 minutes until the cake is golden and springs back when you gently touch the surface.