Caramel apple cake

Ingredients
How long will this caramel apple cake keep?
To serve…
More apple cake recipes

This isn’t your ordinary caramel apple cake! It’s a moist buttermilk cake with spiced apples, drizzled with sweet and salty miso caramel.

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 2/3 cups (250g) self-raising flour

¾ cup (180ml) buttermilk

3 medium (450g) Granny Smith apples, peeled

CARAMEL

¾ cup (165g) caster sugar

50g butter, chopped

1/3 cup (80ml) single cream

3 teaspoons miso paste

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 20 x 30cm slice tin with non-stick baking paper, allowing 3cm overhang.

CARAMEL Place caster sugar and ½ cup (125ml) water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir, without boiling, for 3 minutes, or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring, for 8 minutes or until dark golden. Remove from heat. Carefully add butter and stir until melted.

Whisk the cream and miso paste together, add to the caramel and mix to combine. Return the caramel to medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and buttermilk, in 2 batches, and fold until combined.

Coarsely grate 1 apple and gently fold into the cake mixture. Spread mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Quarter and core the remaining apples. Cut into thin slices. Layer the apple slices, overlapping slightly, on top of the slice. Brush with 2 tablespoons of the miso caramel.

Place on a baking tray, bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool caramel apple cake in the pan before lifting onto a board. Cut into bars and drizzle with remaining miso caramel.