Apple, Maple & Almond Cake

Visually, this is such a pretty cake; it just looks so charming and rustic. I’m a huge maple syrup fan and it really shines in this recipe. The trick to getting the topping right is to use more apples than you think you will need. You want each slice to be overlapping by half, so when the cake cooks and rises you don’t have any gaps of batter peeking through. Use a sharp knife or mandolin to slice the apples thinly, but if you’re using the latter, please be careful. Every one of my fingertips have gone into a battle with the mandolin and it’s notorious in commercial kitchens for being the most dangerous tool!

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Instructions

1.	Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-bake. Grease and line a 26cm cake tin.
2.	In a large frypan, melt the butter then add the cubed apples, brown sugar and cloves.
3.	Stir and cook over a medium heat until the apples have started to soften, about 4–5 minutes.
4.	Remove from the heat, set aside and let cool to room temperature.
5.	In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the eggs, caster sugar and maple syrup until pale and thick.
6.	Working by hand now, gently fold through all of the dry ingredients and currants, followed by the cooked apple and mix until just combined.
7.	Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, ensuring that the chunks of apple are evenly dispersed.
8.	Arrange the apple slices on top of the cake, starting at the outside of the tin and working your way in, overlapping generously as you go.
9.	Bake the cake for 75–85 minutes or until the centre of the cake feels firm to the touch. It can be a little trickier with a cake like this to tell when it is done. If in doubt, carefully insert a skewer under the layer of apples.
10.	Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin.
11.	Dust with icing sugar before serving, if desired.