Apple cake

Ingredients

• 330ml/11½fl oz French cider
• 300g/10½oz plain flour
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp mixed spice powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 apples, peeled, core removed, grated
• 150g/5oz soft dark brown sugar
• 150g/5oz melted butter
• 2 free-range eggs
• 200g/7 oz golden sultanas
• 100g/3½oz pecans, chopped

For the mascarpone cream

• 250g/9oz mascarpone
• splash double cream
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/360F/Gas 4.

2. Place the cider into a pan over a high heat. Bring to the boil and cook until reduced by two thirds.

3. Sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice powder, cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the apples with the sugar and butter.

5. Add the eggs and reduced cider to the apple mixture and stir well.

6. Add the spiced flour mixture to the apple mixture and mix well.

7. Add the sultanas and pecans and fold together to combine.

8. Spoon the cake mixture into a 20cm/8in spring-form cake tin and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when pushed into the centre of the cake. Turn out the cake onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

9. For the mascarpone cream, whisk together the mascarpone, cream and cinnamon in a bowl.

10. To serve, place slices of cake onto plates and spoon the mascarpone cream alongside.