Sophie's Apple Tea Cake with Carmelized Verjuice Syrup

Preparation

1. Method

   Step 1

   Peel and core the apples, then cut them into eighths and put them into a saucepan with 1/4 cup castor sugar and the verjuice. Bring to a boil over a high heat, then gently stir until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat but don’t move the pan. Leave the apple in this light syrup for 10 minutes, then drain, reserving the syrup (you should have about 3 fluid ounces).

   Step 2

   Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 22 cm springform tin. To make the cake, cream the butter and castor sugar until pale and thick. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. (If the mixture starts to curdle, add a tablespoon of the measured flour to stablize it.) Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt and add alternately to the egg mixture with the milk and vanilla extract. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.

   Step 3

   Arrange the apple on the top in a concentric pattern, pushing the pieces into the batter slightly. Mix 2 teaspoons castor sugar and the ground cassia and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake stand in the tin for at least 10 minutes, then remove the tin carefully.

   Step 4

   While the cake is cooking, make the syrup. Have iced water ready in the sink or a large bowl. Bring the verjuice and castor sugar to a boil in a saucepan and cook until a deep, golden brown. Remove the caramel from the heat and cautiously add the reserved apple cooking syrup – the mixture may spit a little. Stand the saucepan in the iced water immediately to arrest the cooking, then pour into a jug ready to serve.

2. To Serve

   Step 5

   To serve, brush the warm cake with the syrup. Put a wedge of warm cake onto each plate (one with a gently lip is best), then ladle over the syrup and offer with a hearty dollop of thick cream.