Toffee apple, date and walnut cake

Ingredients

150ml cloudy pressed apple juice
150g ready-to-eat dates, chopped
350g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
300g light soft brown sugar
6 large eggs
350g self-raising flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1½ tsp mixed spice
¾ tsp baking powder
100g walnuts, roughly chopped

For the toffee icing

175g granulated sugar
175ml double cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
175g icing sugar

For the candied apples

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled
100g granulated sugar

For the spun sugar

100g caster sugar

Step by step

Get ahead

Make the sponges up to 2 days ahead; the cake can be fully iced the day before, but only make the decorations on the day and once on the cake, serve immediately. The sponges can also be frozen.

Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease 3 x 20cm cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
Heat the apple juice in a small pan until it just comes to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the chopped dates. Leave to soak for 5 minutes, then purée to a paste using a stick blender or a small food processor.
Put the butter, sugar and eggs in a large bowl and sift in the flour, spices and baking powder. Using an electric whisk, whisk together for 2-3 minutes, until well combined. Fold in the puréed dates and walnuts.
Divide the batter between the three prepared cake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Leave to cool in their tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
While the cakes are cooling, prepare the toffee icing. Heat the sugar with 3 tablespoons water over low heat in a small saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and bubble, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar has caramelised and is deep golden. Remove the pan from the heat, gradually add the cream, swirling the pan as you do so, then return the pan to the heat. Add the vanilla extract, bubble for a further 30 seconds, then tip into a large bowl and leave to cool to room temperature.
Once the caramel in the bowl has cooled, add the butter and icing sugar and whisk with an electric whisk until smooth – about 2-3 minutes. Put the bowl in the fridge and chill for at least 1 hour, but no more than 3 hours, otherwise it will set solid.
While the toffee frosting is chilling, make the candied apples. Using a melon baller, scoop out little balls of apple from the apple. Place a cocktail stick in each of them. Heat the sugar over low heat in a small saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and bubble, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar has caramelised and is deep golden. Remove from the heat, tilt the pan to one side to make a pool and dip the apples into the caramel. Leave them in the pan for about 5 minutes, then slowly pull them out of the caramel, so that a shard of caramel is left on the top of each apple. Remove the cocktail sticks and leave to cool and set on an oiled baking tray.
To make the spun sugar, melt the caster sugar, without stirring, in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Grease a rolling pin lightly with oil. When the sugar is melted and turns a dark golden brown, remove from the heat and leave it to cool for 5 minutes. Dip a fork in the caramel then use it to flick the caramel backwards and forwards over the greased rolling pin. Gather the strands and place on a sheet of baking paper to cool.
Once the icing has chilled, assemble the cake. Place the first layer on a board and spread a thin layer of icing on top. Place the second layer on top and repeat. Finally place the last layer on top and ice the tops and sides of the cake fully. Top the cake with the candied apples and spun sugar.
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