Recipe of the week: Caramelised apple & cinnamon sponge | Lawrence Murphy

The cold snap will be good to sweeten the parsnips, and the apples are easily picked from the ground to make crumbles, pies or apple sauce for slow-roast pork.

This week’s recipe is an adaptation of an apple and cinnamon sponge that is great to warm you up on a blustery day. Granny Smith apples are caramelised which softens their acidity but leaves some texture in the sponge.

Served on its own or with a jug of custard, this is a fantastic autumn treat.

Ingredients (makes 8 small cakes)

2 Granny Smith apples peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

50g brown sugar

T easpoon ground cinnamon

80g caster sugar

80g butter

3 eggs

100g self raising flour

Method

1. Put the brown sugar into a saucepan, add two tablespoons of water and put on a low heat.

2. Allow the sugar to caramelise to a golden brown and the carefully stir in the cubed apple.

3. Allow to cook for 2 minutes and then allow to cool.

4. Beat the caster sugar and bu tter together and add 1 egg and a 1/3 of the flour. Beat together and repeat the process for the remaining eggs and flour. Stir in the cinnamon and fold in the caramelised apple and two tablespoons of the caramel juice.

5. Spoon into 8 lined rings and bake in a preheated oven 180c gas 4 for 25 minutes

6. Check they are cooked and serve warm with custard or caramel sauce.

A message from the editor, Mark Waldron.

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