Name: Spiced apple cake
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 10-12
Ingredients: 200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin; 200g soft dark brown sugar; 50g black treacle; 4 eggs; 3 (about 300g) apples, cored and grated; 50g pecans, chopped; 225g self-raising flour; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp mixed spice; 1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt; 150g butter, softened; 300g icing sugar; 2 tbsp black treacle, plus extra to drizzle

A cake stand topped with a dark sponge cake with a light brown cream cheese frosting

200g unsalted butter
softened, plus extra for the tin
200g soft dark brown sugar
50g black treacle
4 eggs
3 (about 300g) apples
cored and grated
50g pecans
chopped
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt

ICING

150g butter
softened
300g icing sugar
2 tbsp black treacle
plus extra to drizzle

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a deep 24cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper. Tip the butter into a bowl with the sugar and treacle, and beat with an electric whisk until really light and fluffy. Crack in the eggs, one at a time, whisking well in between each addition.
step 2
Fold in the grated apple, pecans, flour, bicarb, spices and salt, then scrape into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when poked into the middle. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool fully.
step 3
To make the icing, beat the butter with an electric whisk until really soft. Add the icing sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking in between each addition until you have a light, fluffy icing. Whisk in the treacle until fully incorporated.
step 4
Put the cooled cake on a cake plate or stand and spoon the treacle icing over the top, gently spreading it to the edges with the back of the spoon. Drizzle with a little extra black treacle, if you like. Cut into slices and serve.