Spiced Bramley Apple Cake with Maple Whiskey Glaze

FOR THE CAKE

200g softened butter

180g light brown sugar

4 eggs

1 bramley apple

300g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ½ lemon, zest only 60ml milk

FOR THE TOPPING

3 pink lady apples

100ml maple syrup

40g butter

3 tbsp Whiskey

OPTIONAL FOR A FROSTING

500g mascarpone

3 tbsp sour cream

140g icing sugar

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 2 lemons

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Line a 22cm loose base springform tin with baking parchment. Place the butter and sugar into a mixer and whisk until light and fluffy.

2. Beat the eggs together in a bowl with a fork and mix in stages into the butter and sugar, adding 1 tbsp of flour to stabilise as needed. Quickly peel and dice small the bramley apple, then fold into the egg mixture. Sift the plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg together.

3. Fold the flour and spices into the egg mixture and add the lemon zest. Add the milk in to form a soft cake batter.

4. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Insert a skewer to check that it is ready. It should come out clean. Cool on a rack before taking out of the tin.

5. Meantime, pour the maple syrup into a pan with the butter and whiskey and leave to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until a fluid sauce forms, stirring from time to time. Slice the pink lady apples in even wedges and add them to the sauce and leave to cook a little, until the apples absorb the lovely flavours from the sauce. Then let cool.

6. To make the frosting whisk together the mascarpone, sour cream, lemon zest and juice and icing sugar. Taste and adjust as needed by adding more lemon or icing sugar.

7. To decorate spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake and arrange the apples in a rose petal fashion on top.