Spiced toffee apple cake

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/gas mark 4). Grease and line a 23cm springform tin.

Step 2

Put the dates into a saucepan with the milk, place on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes until the dates are soft, then remove from the heat.

Step 3

Use a blender or food processor to blend the dates and milk until smooth, then set aside.

Step 4

Juice half a lemon, then put the juice in a bowl. Quarter the apples, remove the core, then finely slice. Put the apple slices in the bowl with the lemon juice and toss to coat.

Step 5

Place the butter or margarine, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, eggs, mixed spice and vanilla extract into a bowl.

Step 6

Add the pureed date mixture, then beat until light and fluffy.

Step 7

Pour the mixture into the cake tin. Arrange the apple slices on the top, neatly overlapping them.

Step 8

Put the cake into the oven and cook for 1 hour–1 hour 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove and set aside to cool.

Step 9

Dust the cooled cake with icing sugar.

Step 10

For the toffee sauce

Place the light brown sugar, butter and double cream in a pan over a medium heat. Once melted, increase the heat and boil for around 1 minute, until the sauce thickens slightly.

Step 11

Drizzle the sauce over the cake, allowing some to run down the sides.

Step 12

Leave until cool, then cut into portions.