Maple, apple & pecan cake

A cake made with apple purée (in American parlance ‘apple sauce cake’) is beautifully moist. I like this best with a mug of strong coffee (just give in to your American diner fantasies).

SERVES 10 PREP 30 mins COOK 40 mins EASY V For the cake

115g butter, at room temperature

75g light brown soft sugar 75ml maple syrup (the darkest you can find) 1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten

225g plain flour, sifted 11/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp baking powder

Apple purée

100g pecans, chopped 225g apple purée (see recipe below)

For the buttercream icing

125g butter

290g golden icing sugar 4 tbsp dark maple syrup

To decorate

30g pecans

1 tbsp soft light brown sugar

Cook 250g peeled and chopped cooking apples in a pan with a lid with a splash of water until soft, about 10 mins. Purée with a hand blender or in the small bowl of a food processor. 1 Butter and line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin with parchment. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix the maple syrup and egg together and gradually add them. Sift the flour with the bicarb and baking powder. Add a good pinch of salt and the nuts. With a large metal spoon, fold the flour into the butter and sugar, alternating with the apple purée. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin, then turn out onto a rack and peel off the baking parchment. 2 To make the buttercream, beat the butter until soft, then add the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Gradually add the maple syrup, beating as you do so. Slice the cooled cake in half then, using a spatula, spread half of the icing over the first layer. Add the other layer on top, then top with the rest of the buttercream. Pulse the pecans in a food processor with the brown sugar (or finely chop and mix). You should end up with a coarse mixture. Scatter this over the top of the cake.

PER SERVING 545 kcals • fat 28g • saturates 13g • carbs 69g • sugars 50g • fibre 2g • protein 4g • salt 1.0g