Mulled apple bundt cake
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- + Cooling
- A little effort
- Makes 10 servings
SPICED APPLE PURÉE
- 450g Granny Smith applespeeled, cored and diced into 1cm pieces
- ½ lemonjuiced
- 300ml cloudy apple juice
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- from 3 pods cardamom seeds
- finely grated to make ¼ tsp nutmeg
APPLE CAKE
- 280g unsalted butterplus more for the tin
- 325g golden caster sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 4 large eggs
- 300g plain flourplus a dusting
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground clove
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 200g (see above) apple purée
DRIED APPLE CHIPS (OPTIONAL)
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- ½ lemonjuiced
- a dusting ground cinnamon
APPLE CARAMEL SAUCE
- 300ml cloudy apple juice
- 150g caster sugar
- a large pinch sea salt flakes
- 50ml double cream
- kcal588
- fat28.2g
- saturates17g
- carbs76.4g
- sugars53.5g
- fibre1.9g
- protein6.2g
- salt0.5g
Method
step 1
Lightly butter a large (10-cup capacity) bundt tin and dust lightly with flour, tapping out any excess.
step 2
To make the purée, put the apples, lemon juice, apple juice and spices into a medium pan. Cook over a medium heat for 12-15 minutes or until the liquid has almost disappeared, leaving just the apple pieces behind. Remove 200g of the apple (set aside the rest in a bowl to cool) and use a stick blender or food processor to purée it.
step 3
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. For the cake, put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat together on medium speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Briefly mix in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined before adding the next one.
step 4
Combine the flour, bicarb, spices and ½ tsp of salt in a bowl, then stir into the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the cooled apple purée. Fold through the remaining set-aside apple pieces. Scrape into the bundt tin and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
step 5
Reduce the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Core the apples and cut into 2mm-thick rounds (a mandoline is best for this) and toss in the lemon juice. Put the slices onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment and dust with a little ground cinnamon. Bake in the oven for 40-55 minutes, turning halfway, until the apples have dried out and are lightly browned. Remove and set aside to cool.
step 6
To make the sauce, pour the apple juice into a small pan and cook over a medium heat at a simmer until reduced to 75ml. In a separate pan, gently heat the sugar, swirling the pan until fully melted, then turn up the heat and cook until a caramel the colour of a rusty penny forms. Sprinkle in the salt, then carefully pour in the cream, followed by the reduced apple juice. When the bubbling has subsided, you should have a smooth caramel sauce. Cool slightly.
step 7
Put the cake onto a serving plate and pour over the warm sauce. Top with the apple chips, if using, and cut into wedges to serve.