Caramelised apple cake | Katherine Sabbath

Ingredients

• 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
• 25g unsalted butter (for the caramel) + 175g softened unsalted butter (for the cake batter)
• Pinch salt
• 3 apples (use your favourite variety), peeled, cored & sliced 5mm-1cm thick
• 100g brown sugar
• 200g dulce de leche (store bought or any similar type of caramel spread is just fine)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 free range eggs, at room temp
• 175g self raising flour
• 100g almond meal

To Serve: Vanilla bean yoghurt, ice cream or whipped cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C, fan-forced. Grease & line the base & sides of a 24cm cake pan.
2. Place caster sugar in a pan over low heat with 2 tablespoons water, stirring until dissolved. Increase heat to medium & cook, without stirring, until a golden caramel. Add butter & salt, & stir until combined. Pour in the cake pan & set aside to cool.
3. Cover the caramel with overlapping circles of apple. Using the paddle attachment, beat butter & brown sugar in your KitchenAid stand mixer until thick & pale, then add dulce de leche & vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Fold in the flour & almond meal, then transfer mixture into cake pan. Bake for approx 40 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Rest the cake in the pan for 10 mins, then carefully invert onto a plate. Drizzle over caramel from the pan & add extra pouring caramel if desired. Serve with vanilla bean yoghurt, ice cream or whipped cream, & enjoy with your favourite people!