Warm Apple Cake

Ingredients

125g butter, chopped
110g caster sugar
2 eggs
100g self-raising flour
50g plain flour
1 tbsp milk
3 medium granny smith apples (450g)
160g apricot jam, warmed

Brandy butterscotch sauce

100g firmly packed brown sugar
125ml double cream
100g butter, chopped
2 tbsp brandy

Serves 8

Method

Preheat oven to moderately slow (160deg C, gas mark 3). Grease and line base and sides of two 8cmx25cm bar cake pans.

Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating until combined between each addition. Stir in sifted flours and milk; spread mixture into prepared pans.

Peel, core and halve apples; slice halves thinly. Push apple slices gently into surface of cake mixture.

Brush apple with strained jam; bake cakes in moderately slow oven about 40 minutes. Stand cakes 10 minutes; turn, top side up, onto wire rack to cool. Serve pieces of cake warm, drizzled with brandy butterscotch sauce.

Brandy butterscotch sauce

Combine ingredients in small saucepan. Stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, about 3 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.