Simply Superb Sticky Toffee Apple Cake

If nothing else, Christmas is a time to indulge yourself and with only 10 sleeps until the big day it's definitely time to start thinking about what you're going to treat yourself with. This cake is the ultimate indulgence. It takes sticky toffee pudding to the next level and, because of the apples, you can pretend it's one of your five a day!

Easy to make and impressive to look at, this cake is the perfect pudding for any dinner party or as a tea time treat with a cuppa. I like to serve mine warm, with a salted caramel sauce and a good dollop of vanilla ice cream. Go on, treat yourself this Christmas!

Simply Superb Sticky Toffee Apple Cake
Serves 6-10

140g/5oz butter, softened at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

300g/10½oz Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped

50ml/2floz water

75g/3oz caster sugar

2 tbsp calvados (optional)

175g/6oz light soft brown sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

3 tbsp golden syrup

2 free-range eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g/7oz self-raising flour, plus 2 tbsp for dusting

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 Cox's Orange Pippin apple, cored and finely sliced

To Serve:

My Salted Caramel Sauce

Vanilla Ice Cream
Or Classic Creamy Custard

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Grease and flour a 23cm/9in spring-form tin.

Melt 25g/1oz of the butter in a saucepan and add the apples, water and sugar. Cook over a gentle heat until steam appears from the saucepan, then cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until thick and fluffy.

Remove the lid and beat the mixture to remove any lumps. Add the calvados and beat until well combined.

Beat 90g/3oz of the butter and the soft brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the golden syrup, eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined then fold the self-raising flour into the cake mixture.

Meanwhile, add the bicarbonate of soda to the apple puree and mix well, then stir this quickly into the cake mixture. Pour into the cake tin and gently tap the sides of the tin to evenly disperse the mixture.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes in total. While the cake is baking, melt the remaining 25g/1oz of butter in a saucepan. After the cake has been in the oven for 30 minutes, arrange the sliced apple over the top of the cake in a circle, and brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the cake and return to the oven. Once the cake is cooked, allow to cool slightly before turning out.

To serve, slice the cake and place a piece in the centre of a plate. Put a spoonful of ice cream on top and drizzle over the caramel sauce. Alternatively, pour over a good amount of custard followed by the caramel sauce.