VALENTINE'S DAY CAKE WINNER!

What does Valentine's Day mean to you?

And how do you make your special person feel extra loved on this (sometimes tricky and weird) day?

Yumi and Simon have some experiences and advice to share - and a REALLY GREAT cake from the legendary Belinda Jefferey that would make the perfect gift cake - or just a treat for yourself.

Ingredients

• 300g (about 2 medium sized) tart apples, peeled, cored, chopped
• 200g pitted dates, finely chopped
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 150g plain flour
• 75g self-raising flour
• 125g soft unsalted
• 220g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1½tsp vanilla extract
• 50g pecans and 50g slivered almonds

• TOPPING:
• 90g unsalted butter
• ½ cup milk
• 170g soft brown sugar
• 110g pecan nuts sliced and almonds if you love nuts like Yumi does
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter a 20cm springform cake tin. Line the base with baking paper.
2. Put the apple into a heatproof bowl with the dates. Add the Bicarbonate of soda and pour in 250ml boiling water. Thoroughly stir together then leave the mixture to cool to room temperature.
3. Sift both flours and ½tsp salt into a bowl ensuring they are well mixed or even go fastidious and run it through the food processor.
4. Put the butter and caster sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat. Then add in the egg and vanilla extract.
5. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture, alternatively with the apple and date mixture until both are incorporated. Take care not to over work the mixture or it could make for a tough cake. Lastly stir through the nuts.
6. Scrape the cake batter into the tin and bake for 1hr 15mins, aka, a lifetime.
7. About 15mins before the end of the cake cooking time make the topping
8. Heat the butter and milk in a small saucepan until the butter has melted. Stir in the sugar, pecan nuts (and almonds) and vanilla extract. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles steadily and cook stirring regularly for approximately 5 mins or until it slightly thickens. Keep warm until the cake is ready.
9. Remove cake from the oven and make sure you have an audience. Pour over the molten, nutty caramel. Some will run down the sides. Return the cake to the over for 10 to 15mins until the topping is a deep brown.
10. Sit the cake tin on a rack with baking paper underneath to catch the drips. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
11. Serve whenever you want cos it's your cake. Good with cream, icecream, all the good things! Happy Valentine's Day!

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