Apple ginger slab cake

SERVES 12-16 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 100g butter, chopped ½ cup (110g) brown sugar ½ cup (175g) golden syrup

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cut into 5mm thick slices

50g butter, extra, at room temperature 1 cup (220g) brown sugar, extra

2 eggs

1 cup (250ml) milk

2 tablespoons golden syrup, extra 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced)

2 To make a caramel sauce, place the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a medium saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until smooth and thickened slightly. Watch it carefully as it will bubble up the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.

3 Arrange the apple slices in the base of an ungreased, unlined 20cm x 30cm lamington pan. Pour the hot caramel evenly over the apples.

4 Place the extra butter and extra brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. Add the eggs, milk and extra golden syrup; pulse until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the combined flour and spices to the bowl and pulse gently until mixture is smooth.

5 Spoon the mixture carefully over the apples, using a palette knife or back of a spoon to level the surface.

6 Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40 minutes or until the cake is coming away from the sides of the pan and springs back when touched in the middle.

7 Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then place a large rectangular plate or board on top of the cake pan and carefully turn upside down. The cake will drop to the plate. Lift the cake pan gently off the top. Serve with double-thick cream. Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.