Caramel Apple Crumble Cake

It's Autumn again, and I couldn't go without showing you another apple & caramel combo. I don't know why exactly, but a chill in the air always sends me running for those ingredients. And crumble needs no explanation; it just makes everything better, don't you think? 

I made this cake twice: once to bring to work and once for some friends. It got some great reviews, and at work someone liked it so much that they had two slices, thus preventing someone else on the team from getting any. I mean, I couldn't exactly complain when I had a compliment like that, could I?

This Caramel Apple Crumble Cake has a crispy caramel and crumble topping which sits on a moist sponge filled with apple pieces. Perfect as a naughty breakfast, or an afternoon treat. Excellent with custard.

Ingredients

Crumble

100g Butter

100g Caster Sugar

100g Plain Flour

Sponge

200g Butter

200g Caster Sugar

3 Eggs

2 Bramley Apples, peeled and chopped into chunks 

200g Plain Flour

1 Tsp Cinnamon

2 Tsp Baking Powder

Caramel

150g Caster Sugar

100mL (approx) Water

100mL Double Cream

Recipe

Crumble

• Place the ingredients in a mixing bowl and rub together with fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Place to one side.

Sponge

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan and line a 10" springform cake tin with baking parchment.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Beat the eggs in, one at a time, until smooth.
• Fold the apple chunks into the batter until well combined.
• Sieve the flour, cinnamon and baking powder into the batter and fold in until well combined.
• Transfer the batter into the springform tin, then sprinkle the crumble over the top.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Caramel 

• While the cake bakes, put the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan and cover with water. Heat on a medium setting until the water has boiled off and the sugar has turned golden brown.
• Remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter, followed by the cream.
• When the cake is removed from the oven, spike it all over with a skewer and pour the caramel over the top, ensuring that it covers the cake evenly.