Apple cake with brown butter icing

Method

1. First, prepare the baking tins. Line the tins with parchment paper. Brush with melted butter or sunflower oil. Sprinkle with flour and tip out excess flour.

2. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

3. Peel the apples, grate on the large holes of a box grater.

4. Mix the flour, salt, sieved bread soda, cinnamon and nutmeg together.

5. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Whisk in eggs one at a time and whip to a soft, billowy mixture. If using a food mixer, remove the bowl from the stand. Using a flexible spatula, fold the grated apples and walnuts alternately with the flour into the creamed mixture.

6. Divide the cake mixture evenly between the prepared tins.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-40 minutes, depending on the size, or until they are nicely browned – a skewer inserted into the cakes should come out clean when cooked.

8. Cool for 5 minutes in the tins before turning onto a cooling rack.

9. Meanwhile, make the Brown Butter Icing. Melt the butter and simmer until it turns very lightly brown and smells nutty, remove from the heat. Add in the icing sugar, stirring well to combine. Thin with milk to a spreading consistency – reheat and add drops of water to maintain emulsion if necessary. Finally add the vanilla extract and spread over the apple cake when cold.