Sensational Sticky Toffee Apple Upside-Down Cake

It's bonfire night and what says happy 5th of November better than toffee apples? This toffee apple cake of course!

My blog has been, quite frankly, jam-packed full of apple recently and I make no apologies. It has been a bumper year for the great British fruit and I intend to use them all up in the most delicious ways I can think up! With its dried fruits and hint of orange, this cake is great with a cup of tea or even sliced up with some good cheese! And while this cake is ideal for bonfire night, I have also made a spare that's gone straight into my freezer because this beauty also makes the PERFECT Christmas cake alternative.

Sensational Sticky Toffee Apple Upside-Down Cake

For the toffee apple topping: 
butter, for greasing 
200g caster sugar 
3-5 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced in 1cm/½in wedges 
1 large orange, zest only 
75g dried fruits, I used cranberries, raisins and sultanas 
For the cake: 
225g salted butter, softened 
225g golden caster sugar 
225g self-raising flour 
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 
4 free-range eggs, at room temperature 
60ml/4 tbsp whole milk 
½ tsp vanilla extract 

Grease 23cm/9in cake tin with butter and line it with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. 

For the topping, put a pan over a high heat. Add the sugar and three tablespoons of water and cook until it the sugar melts and turns amber – do not stir at any point. Remove from the heat and carefully pour the toffee into the lined baking tin, taking care to cover the base completely. Place the apple wedges in three rows on top of the toffee and sprinkle with a third of the orange zest. Add the dried fruits in any gaps between the rows of apple. 

For the cake, beat the butter, the remaining orange zest and sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift together the flour and bicarbonate of soda and add a tablespoon of this to the butter mix along with one egg. Mix until combined and repeat the process until all the flour and eggs have been used. Stir in the milk and a few drops of vanilla. Pour into cake tin and gently smooth with a spatula. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

Using oven gloves, place a cooling rack over the tin and quickly flip over, taking care not to burn yourself on any hot caramel that may leak from the tin. Remove from the tin and set aside to cool completely. If you're saving it for Christmas like me, wrap it first in greaseproof paper and then in foil and pop it in the freezer. Otherwise, it will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks but it won't last that long!

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