Spiced toffee apple cake

Continuing my recent bonfire night baking theme, this is an adapted version of a BBC Good Food recipe for spiced toffee apple cake. The cake is made from a base of date purée, then before baking is topped with rows of sliced red apples. Once it comes out of the oven, you sprinkle it with icing sugar and then drizzle a toffee sauce over the top.  Serve cut into squares like brownies!

Ingredients

7 oz (200g) dates, roughly chopped

7 fl oz (200ml) milk, plus a splash

9 oz margarine, plus extra for greasing

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

10 oz self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 tbsp allspice

3 oz molasses sugar

4 oz golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

3 small red apples

Squeeze of lemon juice

Squeeze of golden syrup

Handful of toffees

Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C and grease and line a 20 x 30cm baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Put the dates and milk in a small pan and bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and set aside for 15 mins to cool.
3. Whizz the date mixture to a smooth purée in a food processor or blender, then scrape into a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the margarine and vanilla and beat until smooth.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. (If it looks like it may curdle, add a spoonful of the flour between each egg.)
6. Core and thinly slice the apples, place in a bowl, and toss with a little lemon juice.
7. Into the mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, allspice and sugars, and beat quickly until smooth.
8. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking tray.
9. Arrange the apple slices on top of the cake, overlapping them in 3 rows lengthways down the tray.
10. Sprinkle with a little golden caster sugar and drizzle with golden syrup.
11. Bake for 45-50 mins until a cake tester comes out clean, then leave to cool in the tray.
12. Meanwhile, place the toffees in a small pan with a good splash of milk and gently melt, stirring, until runny.
13. To finish, dust with a little icing sugar, then drizzle the toffee sauce all over the cake.
14. Cut into squares to serve.