This sticky and sweet Toffee Apple Loaf Cake is the perfect treat for Bonfire Night! Get the recipe below.
The 5th of November
The fifth of November is a date ingrained into the minds of British people everywhere. It marks the anniversary of a secret plan to overthrow the King of England by a man named Guy Fawkes.
Each year fireworks are let off and bonfires lit up and down the UK commemorate the capture of Guy Fawkes and sometimes, they even burn an effigy of Guy!
I don’t think there has been a single year that I’ve missed the bonfire night celebrations.
As a child we’d go to my aunt’s house for soup, burgers and hot dogs. We’d then walk to the local park where a huge, free, firework display was put on by the council. It felt like the whole town came to watch the fireworks.
If we were lucky when we got home we’d get sparklers and my Dad and uncles would let off a few more rockets a little closer to home.
These days we go to the display at Alexandra Palace. It’s a big occassion with a street food market, plenty of bars, fairground rides and of course a giant bonfire and fireworks.
I’d go so far as to say it might be my favourite day of the year!
Bonfire night treats
As with all celebrations there are traditional foods that you expect to eat. We always had hearty food like tomato soup in mugs or big burgers loaded with caramelised onions before we went to the fireworks display.
Cinder toffee, honeycomb and toffee apples are also treats I also associate with the day.
As kids we weren’t allowed too many sweet things – and I’m pleased to say I’ve never had any fillings so it must have worked! Now I’m an adult thoughI can have as many sweet things as I want.
This sweet and sticky Toffee Apple Loaf Cake is the perfect example of an over the top, sugar laden cake that is perfect for celebrating the capture of Guy!
Apples
Although this cake is filled with brown sugar, caster sugar, treacle, soft toffee and even a toffee sauce it won’t put you into a sugar coma.
Along with some autumnal spices, sharp acidic apples help provide the balance to make this cake both moist and moreish.
We’ve got two apple trees at the end of our garden and whilst I’m not quite sure what variety they are they do have a wonderful tart flavour to them which made them perfect for this cake.
I’d recommend using something like a granny smith!
One of my favourite bits about this cake is the stack of apple balls on top. I used a melon baller to scoop out rounds of apple flesh. I then baked them in the oven until soft (but still retaining their shape). They not only look fun but provide a wonderful pop of apple flavour with every mouthful.
The recipe
I love eating a slice of this cake while it is still warm. The toffees will have melted inside the cake and the warm spices make you feel all cosy inside.
That being said it also tastes great cold with a cup of coffee.
Ingredients
- 150g unsalted butter
- 150g dark brown soft sugar
- 175g golden syrup
- 75g treacle
- 3 large eggs
- 250g self raising flour
- 4.5 tsp ground ginger
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp milk
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large eating apples, peeled and cored, 2 cut into small chunks, and 2 turned into apple balls using a melon baller
- Toffee sauce
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3 and line your loaf tin with grease proof paper.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the golden syrup and treacle
- Add the eggs into the mixture one at a time, beating well in between each egg.
- Add the flour and spices and fold through gently.
- Add the milk at the end to loosen the mixture slightly.
- Finally, fold in the apple chunks.
- Pour the mixture into the loaf tin.
- Bake for 2 hours until the cake is golden, bouncy, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- For the least 10 minutes of baking, put the apple balls onto a baking sheet and cook until just soft but still holding their shape
- Leave to cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
- Add the balls to the top of the cake and drizzle with toffee sauce.
Pin it for later
Bonfire night isn’t far away now so make sure you’ve got this recipe pinned!
I love bonfire night! We always used to have hot dogs too, and my husband had baked potatoes! Such a fun night 🙂 Love the look of your toffee apple cake – I’d eat that any time of year 😉
How do you eat a baked potato while holding a sparkler?! :-p i do love the food this time of year. Real hearty, filling stuff! Youre right though this cake could really be enjoyed any time 🙂
How delicious and I love the baked apple balls on top – that’s a great idea. The cake looks super, bookmarked and pinned for Bonfire Night feasting.
Thanks Ren! The baked apple balls really do make it! They are sweet and sour and a fab texture to go with the cake