Sticky Apple Sauce Cake with Whisky Caramel Sauce (Serves 8 - 10)
For the apple sauce:
300g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
a knob of butter
50g caster sugar
For the cake:
100g butter
175g light soft brown sugar
3 tblsp golden syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the sauce:
100g dark soft brown sugar
100g butter
2 tblsps whisky (rum, calvados or brandy)
200ml double cream
Preheat the oven to 190ºC / Gas 5. Grease and line a 23cm spring-sided cake tin. Prepare the apple sauce: place the apples, a knob of butter and the caster sugar in a saucepan. Add 50ml water, cover and cook over a gentle heat until they are soft and fluffy, stirring frequently to prevent the apples catching! Beat well to make a smooth apple sauce.
To make the cake, beat the butter and soft brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the golden syrup, eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. Don't worry if it is a little bit curdled at this point. Carefully fold the self-raising flour into the mixture.
Next, the alchemy! Add the bicarbonate of soda to the apple sauce which will cause the sauce to bubble up. Whilst this is happening, quickly mix the sauce into the cake mixture. Pour into the cake tin and bake for approx. 30 minutes or until the cake is dark golden-brown and springy to the touch.
To make the whiskey caramel sauce, place the dark soft brown sugar and butter into a saucepan and cook gently until the sugar has melted. Pour in the cream and whisky (or other spirit) and simmer gently for about 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly. Serve the cake and sauce slightly warm.