Ingredients

• 330ml/11½fl oz French cider
• 300g/10½oz plain flour
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp mixed spice powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 apples
• peeled
• core removed
• grated
• 150g/5oz soft dark brown sugar
• 150g/5oz melted butter
• 2 free-range eggs
• 200g/7 oz golden sultanas
• 100g/3½oz pecans
• chopped
• 250g/9oz mascarpone
• splash double cream
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/360F/Gas 4.
• Place the cider into a pan over a high heat. Bring to the boil and cook until reduced by two thirds.
• Sift the plain flour
• bicarbonate of soda
• mixed spice powder
• cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl.
• In a separate bowl
• mix the apples with the sugar and butter.
• Add the eggs and reduced cider to the apple mixture and stir well.
• Add the spiced flour mixture to the apple mixture and mix well.
• Add the sultanas and pecans and fold together to combine.
• Spoon the cake mixture into a 20cm/8in spring-form cake tin and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes
• or until a skewer comes out clean when pushed into the centre of the cake. Turn out the cake onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
• For the mascarpone cream
• whisk together the mascarpone
• cream and cinnamon in a bowl.
• To serve
• place slices of cake onto plates and spoon the mascarpone cream alongside.