Spiced Toffee Apple Cake

Name: Spiced Toffee Apple Cake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: Makes 15 squares
Cuisine: british
Ingredients: 200g dates roughly chopped; 200ml milk plus a splash; 250g butter softened, plus extra for greasing; 280g self-raising flour; 200g light soft brown sugar; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 4 large eggs; 1 tbsp mixed spice; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 3 small red apples; squeeze lemon juice; handful of toffees; a little icing sugar for dusting

4.55 (54)

⏱ 105 mins 🍽 Makes 15 squares 🌶 british ✅ Easy 🏷 Dessert

This British cake offers a delightful twist on classic toffee apples. A moist batter is created by blending dates with milk, then mixing with butter, flour, brown sugar, eggs and warming spices. Thinly sliced apples are arranged on top before baking. Once cooled, the cake is finished with a simple melted toffee sauce and a dusting of icing sugar, resulting in a beautifully spiced and sticky dessert ideal for sharing. It takes about 105 minutes to prepare and bake.

Ingredients

200g dates roughly chopped
200ml milk plus a splash
250g butter softened, plus extra for greasing
280g self-raising flour
200g light soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
1 tbsp mixed spice
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 small red apples
squeeze lemon juice
handful of toffees
a little icing sugar for dusting

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Prepare a 20 x 30cm baking tray by greasing and lining it with parchment. Simmer the chopped dates with the milk in a small saucepan, then take it off the heat and allow it to cool for 15 mins.
Blend the date and milk mixture until completely smooth. Transfer this purée to a large bowl. Add the softened butter, self-raising flour, light soft brown sugar, baking powder, eggs, mixed spice and vanilla extract to the bowl, then set it aside to prepare the apples.
Cut the apples into quarters, remove the cores and slice them quite thinly. Toss the slices in a squeeze of lemon juice as you work. Use an electric whisk to beat the cake mixture until smooth, then pour it into the prepared tray. Lay the apple slices in overlapping rows on top. you will likely fit three rows along the length of the tray. Bake for 45-50 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool in its tray.
Place the toffees in a small pan with a good splash of milk. Melt them gently, stirring continuously, until you have a runny sauce. Lightly dust the cooled cake with icing sugar, then drizzle the warm toffee sauce all over it. Slice into squares or pieces to serve.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories327 kcal

Fat17 g

Saturates10 g

Carbs42 g

Sugars27 g

Fibre2 g

Protein5 g

Sodium212 mg

Recipe details

Skill levelEasy

CategoryDessert

Cuisinebritish