Recipe: Spiced Toffee Apple Cake

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS

For the crisps

1 small eating apple

For the cake

175g dark brown soft sugar

2 large eggs

150ml vegetable oil

Zest of 1 lemon

250g peeled and cored eating apples (approx.3 small apples), coarsely grated

225g self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1½ tsp ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

50g rolled oats

125g sultanas

200ml spiced rum

2 tbsp natural yoghurt

For the filling

40g salted butter

60g dark brown sugar

4 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into cubes

For the frosting

185g salted butter, softened

250g icing sugar

120g full fat cream cheese

Zest of 1 lemon

For the toffee apples

300g caster sugar

100g glucose syrup

70ml double cream

15 mini Chinese apples, or scoop rounds from 4 apples using a melon baller

Gold leaf to decorate

Method

For the apple crisps, very thinly slice the apples using a mandolin. Line a Miele baking tray with the silicon mat. Very lightly grease with vegetable oil. Place the apple slices onto the greased silicon mat. Place into a warming drawer or very low oven, (65°C), leave overnight for 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to Fan Plus, 150°C. Line and grease 3 x 20cm cake tins. In a large bowl whisk the soft brown sugar and eggs for 1-2 minutes until pale and light. Gradually pour in the oil whilst whisking continually.

Stir in the grated apple. Gently fold in the remaining cake ingredients. Evenly divide the cake mixture between the 3 cake tins. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake is fully cooked.

Whilst the cake is cooking, prepare the apple filling. Place the butter and dark brown sugar in a large frying pan. Melt and bring to a simmer. Add the cubes of apple, and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring every so often. Once cooked and reduced until sticky, remove from the heat and leave to one side to cool.

For the frosting, whisk the butter and icing sugar together using an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and lemon zest. Continue to whisk for 20-30 seconds. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag, with a 1½ cm nozzle. Leave to one side.

For the toffee apples, place the sugar, glucose syrup and cream into a medium saucepan, bring to the boil and leave on a gentle simmer until the temperature of the mixture reaches 140°C.

Once the toffee has reached the correct temperature, remove from the heat, and dip each mini apple/apple sphere into the toffee, then straight into a lightly greased baking tray.

Once the cake has cooked, remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

To assemble, place one of the cakes onto a plate or cake stand. Pipe 1 cm dots of frosting around the outside of the cake and a few random dots in the centre. Arrange half of the apple filling in the centre. Place one of the cakes on top and repeat with the frosting and filling. Place the last layer of cake on top. Pipe lots of dots of frosting all over the top of the cake. Decorate with the toffee apples, apple crisps and gold leaf.

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