A beautiful bundt cake topped with caramel sauce and golden apple slices

Mulled apple bundt cake

Name: Mulled apple bundt cake
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: Makes 10 servings
Ingredients: 450g Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1cm pieces; ½ lemon, juiced; 300ml cloudy apple juice; 4 cloves; 1 cinnamon stick; from 3 pods cardamom seeds; finely grated to make ¼ tsp nutmeg; 280g unsalted butter, plus more for the tin; 325g golden caster sugar; 2 tsp vanilla bean paste; 4 large eggs; 300g plain flour, plus a dusting; ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 3 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground cardamom; ¼ tsp ground clove; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; 200g (see above) apple purée; 1 Granny Smith apple; ½ lemon, juiced; a dusting ground cinnamon; 300ml cloudy apple juice; 150g caster sugar; a large pinch sea salt flakes; 50ml double cream

Preparation and cooking time
- Total time2 hrs and 30 mins
- + Cooling
A little effort
Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

SPICED APPLE PURÉE

450g Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1cm pieces
½ lemon, juiced
300ml cloudy apple juice
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
from 3 pods cardamom seeds
finely grated to make ¼ tsp nutmeg

APPLE CAKE

280g unsalted butter, plus more for the tin
325g golden caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 large eggs
300g plain flour, plus a dusting
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground clove
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
200g (see above) apple purée

DRIED APPLE CHIPS (OPTIONAL)

1 Granny Smith apple
½ lemon, juiced
a dusting ground cinnamon

APPLE CARAMEL SAUCE

300ml cloudy apple juice
150g caster sugar
a large pinch sea salt flakes
50ml double cream

Method

STEP 1
Lightly butter a large (10-cup capacity) bundt tin and dust lightly with flour, tapping out any excess.
STEP 2
To make the purée, put the apples, lemon juice, apple juice and spices into a medium pan. Cook over a medium heat for 12-15 minutes or until the liquid has almost disappeared, leaving just the apple pieces behind. Remove 200g of the apple (set aside the rest in a bowl to cool) and use a stick blender or food processor to purée it.
STEP 3
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. For the cake, put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat together on medium speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Briefly mix in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined before adding the next one.
STEP 4
Combine the flour, bicarb, spices and ½ tsp of salt in a bowl, then stir into the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the cooled apple purée. Fold through the remaining set-aside apple pieces. Scrape into the bundt tin and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 5
Reduce the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Core the apples and cut into 2mm-thick rounds (a mandoline is best for this) and toss in the lemon juice. Put the slices onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment and dust with a little ground cinnamon. Bake in the oven for 40-55 minutes, turning halfway, until the apples have dried out and are lightly browned. Remove and set aside to cool.
STEP 6
To make the sauce, pour the apple juice into a small pan and cook over a medium heat at a simmer until reduced to 75ml. In a separate pan, gently heat the sugar, swirling the pan until fully melted, then turn up the heat and cook until a caramel the colour of a rusty penny forms. Sprinkle in the salt, then carefully pour in the cream, followed by the reduced apple juice. When the bubbling has subsided, you should have a smooth caramel sauce. Cool slightly.
STEP 7
Put the cake onto a serving plate and pour over the warm sauce. Top with the apple chips, if using, and cut into wedges to serve.