Apples Apples Apples

Although I am a fan of apple cake I do have an issue. Often, I find the apple flavour gets lost amongst the (Admittedly delicious) mix of spices, brown sugar, maybe vanilla. So recently I've been trying out different recipes where the apple really is the star of the show. I've adapted this from a recipe I was kindly sent by Alain Roux and after a bit of tinkering think it could be a winner. You end up with an appletacular moist caramel soaked sponge.


Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 60 Mins
6 Eating Apples (I used braeburn, but use whatever you like)
100g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
100g Light Muscovado Sugar
100 Self Raising Flour
2 Large Eggs (Beaten)
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon


For the caramel glaze
50g Unsalted Butter (Melted)
70g Light Muscovado Sugar
1 Large Egg


Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease/line base of a 23cm springform tin.
In a large bowl mix the butter with the sugar, then add the eggs and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and cinammon followed by the flour and mix until the ingredients are combined and you're left with a smooth batter.
Peel and core all of the apples then thinly slice. They don't have to be any particular shape, but shouldn't be more than a couple of mm thick. Add all the sliced apples to the batter and mix until all the apples are coated. Spoon the lot into the tin and stick it in the centre of the oven.
Now, onto the caramel glaze. Add the sugar to the melted butter, then the beaten egg and mix with a fork until it resembles a smooth caramel (I used one of those mini whisk things, whose name escapes me, but a fork works just as well). After the cake has been in the oven for 30 minutes pour the glaze all over the top (Ensuring it covers it completely), then return to the oven for a further 30 minutes. 
Take it out the oven, let it cool for half an hour or so, then remove it from the tin and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Alternatively you could serve it straight away as it is great served warm with some cream.


UPDATE: Cake apparently delicious, like a cross between an apply apple cake and a bread pudding (Review courtesy of my Mother).