The wow factor

TOFFEE APPLE CRUMBLE LAYER CAKE FALAFEL SCONES

For the filling and topping:

350ml salted caramel; apple compote; plus 4 x 25cm cake tins

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Grease and line the cake tins.

2. Cream your butter and both sugars together in a large bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy. Crack the eggs in one at a time, mixing after each addition. If the mixture begins to curdle, just pop in a couple of tablespoons of the flour. Turn the speed very low and add your flour and baking powder. Finally, add the milk and vanilla and give it one more blast. Divide your mixture evenly between the cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack.

3. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Tip your flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl and mix. Rub butter into the flour. Tip the crumble onto the baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove and leave to cool. Smash it and tip into an airtight container.

4. Measure your butter into a large bowl and beat until light and pale. Sift your icing sugar and cinnamon into a separate bowl, then add it to the butter in three stages, beating after each addition. Add your milk and vanilla and mix again.

5. Trim the top off all the cakes so they are level. Spread a small amount of buttercream on a board that is slightly bigger than your sponges and place your first layer of sponge on top. Place half the buttercream in a piping bag, snip the end and pipe a circle around the edge of the first layer of sponge, leaving a 10cm circle in the middle. Fill that circle with apple compote and sprinkle with crumble. Spoon the caramel into a piping bag and cut the tip off, then squiggle the salted caramel on top.

6. Repeat until all the sponges are stacked. Last sponge should be placed upside down on top.

7. Coat the outside of the cake with a thin layer of the buttercream. Place in the fridge for at least an hour to set.

8. Take from fridge and add another layer of buttercream around the sides and top.

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes about 30)

For the chickpea crumb: 1x400g tin chickpeas, drained; 1tsp rapeseed oil; 1tsp smoked paprika; 1tsp ground cumin; 1tsp ground turmeric; 1tsp dried mixed herbs

For the scone:

720g plain flour, plus extra for dusting; 3tbsp baking powder; ½tsp fine sea salt; 200g unsalted butter, cold, cubed; a small bunch of chives, snipped; a small bunch of parsley, leaves picked and chopped; 300g feta, diced; 15 halves of sun-dried tomatoes, diced; 4 large eggs; 160ml whole milk

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4.

2. Make the chickpea crumb. Chuck the chickpeas into a large bowl with all the other ingredients and mix until the chickpeas are well coated. Tip on to a baking tray and bake for 16 minutes. Rotate the tray and bake for a further 16 minutes. Leave on one side to cool. Drop the temperature to 170C/Gas 3 and line a baking tray with baking paper.

3. For the scones, sift your flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add your butter and, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until there are no clumps left. Stir in the fresh herbs and mix until evenly distributed. Finally, add the feta and sun-dried tomatoes and stir again.

4. Crack three of the eggs into a jug with the milk and beat lightly. Pour this into the bowl, stirring as you go. Bring the mixture together to form a rough dough.

5. Dust your worktop and rolling pin with flour then roll your dough into a 25 x 25cm square about 3-4cm thick. Dip a 6cm cutter into flour then cut out about 18 scones. You want to use one swift motion when cutting, they say it helps the scones to rise. Re-roll the offcuts of dough and cut out more scones until you have a dozen. Place them on the baking tray.

6. Beat the remaining egg and, using a pastry brush, slather the top of your scones with the egg wash.

7. Blitz the cooled chickpeas in a food-processor to a fine crumb and sprinkle this over the scones. Bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen. The base should be a deep, golden brown and they should sound hollow when tapped.