Sticky apple and gingerbread pecan loaf cake recipe

By Lucy Williams, Lizzie Kamenetzky and Silvana Franco

The perfect teatime treat. Make the most of British apples with this Autumnal version of gingerbread cake.

150g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
150g soft dark brown sugar
150g golden syrup
200ml milk
250g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1½ tsp baking powder
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
75g pecans, roughly chopped
3 pieces of stem ginger, chopped
2 crisp eating apples, such as braeburn, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks (245g peeled and cored) Mascarpone to serve (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Grease and line a 2 litre loaf tin. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a small saucepan. Once melted, stir through the milk and set aside to cool.
2. Sift the flour with the dry spices and baking powder into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the cooled sugar mixture. With a wooden spoon, slowly incorporate the flour mixture using a circular motion. Fold through the beaten eggs, pecans, stem ginger and apples.
3. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes away clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then remove to a wire rack. Serve warm or cold in slices with mascarpone, if you like.

Per serving (based on 12): 336kcals, 17.3g fat (8.1g saturated), 4.8g protein, 40.6g carbs (26.1g sugars), 0.3g salt, 1.8g fibre

Wrap the gingerbread well in paper and cling film and keep in an airtight tin for up to 5 days. The flavour will improve over time.

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