Ingredients
• 200g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature
• ¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 tsps vanilla bean paste
• 2 tsps finely grated lemon rind
• 3 free-range eggs, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1⅔ cups self-raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
APPLE TOPPING
• 50g unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large Granny Smith apples (160g each), peeled, cored
Method
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Grease a 22cm round cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above pan edge.
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Beat butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon rind in a small bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
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Stir in milk, then combined sifted flour and cinnamon, in two batches, until combined.
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To make apple topping, pour butter over base of pan. Sprinkle with sugar. Thinly slice apples. Arrange slices over sugar in base of the pan in a single layer, slightly overlapping.
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Spoon the cake mixture over the apples. Smooth top.
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Cook in a moderately slow oven (160°C) for about 50 to 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 20 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate. Cool to room temperature.
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Serve cake with double cream, if desired.
