Ingredients
Makes 8-10 slices
Cake:
300g plain flour
100g butter
140g light muscovado sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground ginger
2 medium cooking apples, peeled, chopped and finely grated
2 tbsp milk
3 tablespoons lemon curd
Handful of hazelnuts or walnuts to decorate (optional)
Cinnamon buttercream:
85g butter, softened and cubed
85g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp milk
Method
Cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line two 20cm circular cake tins.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, before sifting in the flour, mixed spice, ginger, and baking powder and mixing until combined. Add the milk, one tablespoon at a time as needed to bring the mixture together.
4. Fold in the grated apples and combine.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool for a few minutes, before transferring to a wire rack. Trim the top to make it even using a pallet knife or long serrated knife.
7. Once cool, smooth the lemon curd over the bottom layer using a pallet knife or the back of a spoon, and ice the top of the cake with the buttercream. I popped the leftover frosting in with the lemon curd for extra indulgence! Finish with hazelnuts to decorate.
Cinnamon buttercream:
1. Cream the butter with the back of the wooden spoon in or an electric whisk with paddle attachment
2. Sift in the icing sugar, and work it with the spoon until combined. Add milk to bring it together. Add the cinamon, and mix until completely smooth.