APPLE AND HONEY COUNTRY CAKE WITH HONEYCOMB CREAM

Sweet country baking at its best, using farm-fresh produce and made with love by you! Layer the cake with cream and honeycomb – so swoon worthy.

Preparation time 30 mins Cooking time 50 mins Serves 8-10

300g unsalted butter, softened,

plus extra, for greasing

650g caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla paste

6 free-range eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

2 Granny Smith apples, coarsely grated

1 cup honey

4 cups self-raising flour

4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4 cup water

600ml thickened cream 100g icing sugar

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional). Grease and line three 20cm round cake tins. Combine butter, 400g of the sugar and vanilla in a bowl, then beat using an electric hand mixer until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl.

STEP 2 In another bowl, beat sour cream, apple and 3 Tbsp of the honey until smooth. Sift flour and 11/2 tsp of the bicarb, then fold into butter mixture, alternating with sour cream mixture.

STEP 3 Spoon batter evenly into prepared tins, then bake for 40-45 minutes, until a skewer can be inserted and removed cleanly. Cool on a wire rack.

STEP 4 Cook remaining sugar and honey with water in a medium saucepan over high heat, to 150°C on a sugar thermometer. Sift in remaining bicarb, pour onto baking paper and cool. Chop honeycomb into pieces.

STEP 5 Whip cream and icing sugar together in a bowl into stiff peaks and spread on cakes. Scatter with honeycomb, then stack.