Recipes - Castledore Cider Apple Toffee Cakes

50g/1½oz sultanas,

150ml/5fl oz Fowey Valley Castledore Cider,

125g/4½oz softened Cornish butter,

125g/4½oz light soft brown organic sugar,

2 free-range eggs, beaten,

175g/6oz white self-raising flour,

50g/1½oz brown organic spelt flour,

½ tsp baking powder,

1 tsp ground coriander,

A pinch of salt,

1 crisp English dessert apple, peel on, cut into cubes.

100ml/3½fl oz of Fowey Valley Castledore Cider,

75g/2½oz golden caster sugar.

For the Toffee Toppers

100g golden caster sugar

For the Frosting

100g cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 tablespoon local honey

Method

Soak the sultanas in 50ml/2fl oz of Fowey Valley Castledore Cider until plump (This will take about an hour, or you can do it overnight just to be sure).
Preheat the oven at 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Lightly grease an 18cm/7in diameter baking tin and dust it with flour, or use individual mini loaf tins. These are great for sharing!
In a bowl or food processor beat the butter and sugar. Next, add the beaten eggs, flours, baking powder, coriander and salt. Mix very well.
Add the apple, the sultanas and their soaking cider, plus the remaining amount of cider to the cake mix, and stir gently to combine making sure not to beat.
Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden-brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
For the cider syrup, in a saucepan bring the cider and granulated sugar to a boil, and when all the sugar has dissolved leave the syrup to cool.
Remove the cake from the tin and place on serving dish. Using a skewer pierce the cake all over evenly. Slowly pour the cider syrup over the cake evenly.
Boil the caster sugar in a saucepan until it is caramel coloured and of liquid toffee consistency. Then, using a teaspoon make imaginative swirls onto a sheet of greaseproof paper or foil.
Stir cream cheese, vanilla and honey together until mixed, and daub onto your cake(s). Carefully lift your toffee toppers from the greaseproof paper/foil and place them into the frosting.