Autumn is upon us! The days are shortening and apples are abundant. This cake is filled with apples, cinnamon and served with a decadent butterscotch sauce

Caramel apples for the cake:
2 large crisp dessert apples eg: Pink Lady, Granny Smith etc – diced
1 tbsp butter
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cake:
2 ½ cups of plain/all-purpose flour
1 cup caster/fine sugar
½ cup of soft brown sugar lightly packed
6 oz/1 and ½ stick of soft butter left at room temperature
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
3 large eggs at room temperature

Butterscotch Sauce:
4 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of soft brown sugar
¾ cup double/heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F

Melt the butter and sugar in a pan and sauté the apples for around 5-10 minutes until they are golden and sticky. Set aside and leave to cool.

Butter and flour a bundt cake pan, tapping out the extra flour.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and airy. This should take 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time making sure they are fully incorporated before adding the next. When the eggs are mixed in, add the sour cream and vanilla.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt and combine.

Carefully pour the batter into the prepared bundt tin and smooth out with the spatula.

Bake for 50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire for 30 minutes before placing on a cake plate.

In a heavy bottomed pan and on a medium heat melt the butter and stir in the sugar with a wooden spoon until the sugar has melted. Whisk in the cream, vanilla and salt and let it bubble gently for around 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little before pouring over the cake.

You can either serve the cake and sauce warm, or leave to cool completely.