Burnt Honey Apple Cake

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (125ml) honey 
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 3 eggs, at room temperature 
• ⅓ cup (65g) white sugar 
• ¼ cup (60g) butter, melted 
• 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence 
• ¼ cup (60ml) milk or cream, warmed slightly 
• 1 cup (150g) self-raising cake flour 
• ½ tsp (3ml) ground ginger 
• Pinch nutmeg 
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 12-16 thin slices 
• Whipped cream or ice cream, for serving 

Syrup: 

• ½ cup (125ml) evaporated milk 
• ½ cup (125g) butter 
• ¼ cup (50g) white sugar 

Method:

1. Heat honey and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium-high heat. 
2. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until honey is very dark brown. 
3. Set aside to cool. 
4. Preheat oven to 200°C and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper. 
5. Cream eggs and sugar together for 5-8 minutes with an electric whisk, until sugar dissolves and mixture is pale yellow. 
6. Whisk in ⅓ cup (80ml) cooled burnt honey. 
7. With the motor running, add butter, vanilla and milk, and whisk for 1 minute. 
8. Stir spices into flour to combine evenly. 
9. Fold wet mixture into dry ingredients. 
10. Pour batter into cake tin and arrange apple slices in a fan shape on top. 
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. 
12. Combine syrup ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil to melt sugar and butter. 
13. Pour syrup over cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cool slightly. 
14. Drizzle with extra burnt honey and serve with cream or ice cream.