CARAMEL APPLECAKE
This is a simple cake that anyone can make. Choose an interesting variety of apple if you can, and as it is autumn this shouldn’t be all that difficult. I especially love russet apples to use in cakes and desserts; they have the best flavour of all – fragrant like a pear, slightly nutty, and beautifully sweet. Baked here in the toffee and caramel sauce, the apples turn fudgy and glossy when up-ended as the topping to this cake. ● 100g unsalted butter
● 160g light brown soft sugar
● 175g plain flour
● 1 tsp ground ginger
● 1 tsp ground cinnamon
● 1 tsp baking powder
● Big pinch of salt
● 3 large eating apples, such as russet: 1 coarsely grated; 2 peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges
● 3 eggs
● 200g caster sugar
● 150ml sunflower oil
● Crème fraîche, cream or ice cream, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/350°f/gas 4.
1. Line an approximately 25cm cake tin with baking paper. Put the butter and the brown sugar in the prepared cake tin in the oven for 5 minutes to melt and combine. Remove from the oven and give the mixture a gentle stir to distribute evenly.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Arrange the apple slices attractively on the bottom of the pan in the buttery, sugary syrup.
3. In a jug, whisk together the eggs, caster sugar, grated apple and sunflower oil, then mix this into the dry ingredients in the bowl, stirring well to combine.
4. Pour the batter over the apples in the cake tin, then bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
5. Place the tin on a wire rack to cool the cake for at least 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature, accompanied by some crème fraîche, cream or ice-cream, if you like.