Eating the seasons - upside down cake

Upside Down Apple, Almond & Muscovado Caramel Cake

Ingredients

For the caramel

• 60 g unsalted butter
• 120 g light muscovado sugar
• 2 tbsp dark rum

For the cake

• 3 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges
• 180g softened unsalted butter
• 170g soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp dark rum
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 apple, peeled and coarsely grated
• 3 eggs
• 160g white spelt flour (you can use plain flour, whole wheat or spelt)
• 100g ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp of salt

To serve

• Creme fraiche or ice cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/Gas 4. Line a 25cm (10in) spring form cake tin, preferably with a removable base, with baking paper.

1. Start by making the caramel. Put the butter, muscovado sugar and rum in a pan and melt to combine. Pour into the prepared cake tin. Arrange the apple slices attractively on the bottom of the pan.

1. Next make the batter. Beat the softened butter for 4 -5 minutes until it is very pale, light and fluffy. Then add the soft brown sugar and beat again. Next add the spices, rum and vanilla extract and beat again. Then add the grated apple and one of the eggs, beating it in again. Add the other 2 remaining eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

1. Now we want to add the dry ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt.

1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mix quickly, taking care not to overmix. Pour the batter over the apples in the cake tin and smooth it out, then bake for 50 - 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

1. Place the tin on a wire rack to cool the cake for at least 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Armagnac Poached Prunes

Poaching fruit is the best way to preserve them. I would have poached fruit in the morning with my breakfast cereal with thick greek yoghurt and homemade granola. Quite often I freeze my poached plums and poached quince.

These poached prunes were inspired by a wonderful ice-cream shop I would visit near Notre Dame on an exchange in Paris when I was a teenager. The shop was rightly famous for its prune and Armagnac ice cream which I always had with a scoop of chocolate ice-cream. They are a match made in heaven. The prunes are also delicious on yoghurt for breakfast or whizzed and folded into whipped cream and topped with sugarcrusted breadcrumbs and grated dark chocolate.

Poaching Fruit

Poaching takes no little time. Just throw some fruit into a pan with the juice of a couple of oranges and some spices and some water and it is done.

Ingredients

• 250g dried prunes
• 300ml Earl Grey or other black tea
• 45g mild honey
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• A few strips of orange peel
• 3 tbsp Armagnac

Method

1. Put the prunes in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain.

1. Make the tea, strain then pour over the prunes in a small saucepan. Add the honey, vanilla, orange zest and Armagnac. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to

1. cool. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. These prunes will keep for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

You can buy a similar rubber cake tin here.