Toffee Apple Sheet Cake
By OcadoLife
Published on 16 October 2024
“If you’re feeding a crowd, a traybake makes a great grab-and-go-mingle treat,” says chef and food writer Liberty Mendez who whipped up this Toffee Apple Sheet Cake. With its nutty spelt flour, toffee apple flavours, rich swiss meringue buttercream and touch of golden glimmer, this one will go down a treat with all ages – making it perfect for a big family bash.Time and servings
1 hr 25 minsTotal time
15Servings
45 minsPrep time
40 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 150ml vegetable oil, plus extra for the tin
- 200g full-fat greek yoghurt
- 3 large eggs, plus 2 large egg whites
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 350g caster sugar
- 150g soft light brown sugar
- 150g white spelt flour
- 150g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- 4 apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped into 1.5 cm chunks
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 200g unsalted butter, cubed, soft
- 100g caramel sauce, plus extra to drizzle over
- 1 handful milk chocolate gold pearls, to decorate (optional)
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Oil a 22 cm x 33 cm deep baking tin, then line with 2 sheets of baking paper in opposite directions, leaving an overhang so it’s easier to lift the cake out once baked.Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, yoghurt, 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla paste, 150g caster sugar and all the brown sugar until combined.Step 3
Sift in the spelt and self-raising flours, bicarb, baking powder and salt; fold in with a spatula to make a smooth batter. Stir in half the chopped apples. Scrape the batter into the lined tin, smooth into an even layer and bake for 35-40 mins, until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.Step 4
Meanwhile, make the stewed apples by putting the remaining apple chunks, 50g caster sugar and lemon juice into a pan over a high heat. Simmer for 8 mins, until the liquid has evaporated and the apples are soft and sticky. Remove from the pan into a bowl and leave to cool completely.Step 5
For the swiss meringue buttercream, fill a small pan with 3 cm water; bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Put the egg whites and remaining 150g sugar into a heatproof bowl, set over the pan (don’t let the water touch the bowl) and stir with a balloon whisk or spatula for 4 mins, until the sugar has dissolved.Step 6
Remove from the heat and beat with an electric whisk for 4-5 mins, until you have a thick meringue. Gradually whisk in the cubed butter, 1 tbsp at a time, waiting until completely incorporated before adding the next, until you have a thick buttercream. Be patient – it may not thicken until the last spoonful (about 4 mins). Whisk in the remaining 1 tsp vanilla paste and the caramel sauce.Step 7
To serve, put the apple sponge onto a serving plate, spoon the buttercream on top and swirl it across the cake so it’s covered in billowy icing. Place spoonfuls of the stewed apples onto the buttercream, and dot it with the chocolate pearls, if using; drizzle over extra caramel sauce (you may need to heat it slightly if it’s too thick). Cut the cake into squares and invite everybody to get stuck in.Step 8
Recipe Tip: Allow extra time for cooling.Step 9
Recipe Tip: Use leftover egg yolks to make custard or add them to your scrambled eggs.