Apple and Blackberry Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

For the apples and caramel:

- Butter, for greasing

- 200g/7oz caster sugar

- 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced in 1cm/½in wedges

- 3 tbsp water

For the sponge:

-      -  225g/8oz salted butter, softened

-        -225g/8oz golden caster sugar

-       - 225g/8oz self-raising flour

-      -  ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

-       - 4 free-range eggs, at room temperature

-       - 60ml/4 tbsp milk

-       - ½ tsp vanilla extract

-       - 150g blackberries

For the toffee sauce (optional):

-       -  250ml/9fl oz double cream

-       - 87g/3oz demerara sugar

-       - 87g/3oz butter

-       - 1 1/2 tsp golden syrup

-       - 1 1/2 tsp black treacle

To serve:

- Ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line an 8-inch, solid base cake tin.

Over a high heat add the sugar and three tablespoons of water in a pan and cook until the sugar has melted and turned amber. Do not stir.

Remove from the heat and pour into the lined baking tin, making sure to cover the base completely. Arrange the apples on the caramel., taking care not to burn your fingers.

For the sponge, in a mixing bowl beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

Mix in one egg at a time.

Fold in the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract.

Sprinkle the blackberries with a little flour and gently stir in. Pour the mix into the prepared cake tin, spreading the mix carefully.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Using oven gloves, place a cooling rack over the tin and flip, taking care of any leaking sauce. Remove the tin and leave to cool.

To make the toffee sauce, gently heat the cream in a saucepan. Whisk the butter and sugar into the cream until melted and then whisk in the treacle and syrup. Drizzle over the cake and enjoy.