Apple cake

Make the most of seasonal apples with this lightly spiced cake, served with a creamy caramel sauce.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 160ml olive oil
• 180g light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 3 braeburn apples 2 cored and diced, 1 cut into rings
• 1 lemon zest
• 100g ground almonds
• 300g plain flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the caramel

• 200g granulated sugar
• 150ml double cream
• 40g unsalted butter
• 1 pinch sea salt

Tools

• Bowls
• Mixer
• Sieve
• 23cm cake tin
• Pan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/150ºC fan/gas mark 3
2. Line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.
3. Whisk the oil, sugar and vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time and beat in the diced apple, lemon zest and almonds. Sieve together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and add to the wet ingredients, then pour into the tin and top with the apple rings. Bake for 60–75 minutes, until firm but springy.
4. Meanwhile, make the caramel. Spread the sugar in an even layer across a medium-hot pan and leave to dissolve – swirl the pan once but don’t stir. After 5–10 minutes, when the sugar has turned brick-red, add remaining ingredients and stir briskly to combine. Reduce the heat a little, continuing to stir until it comes together to form a sauce, then simmer for 3–4 minutes until smooth.
5. Serve the cake still warm and drizzled with the caramel sauce.