Step 1

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas mark 4 and line and grease 2 x 20cm round baking tins.

Step 2

Make the apple sauce by peeling, coring and dicing the apples. Place in a saucepan with a tablespoon or two of water and heat gently with the lid on. Stir every so often until the apples have broken down. You should be able to mix them into a pulp with a fork. You need 300g of sauce so weigh out the correct amount and set aside to cool.

Step 3

Sift together the flours, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl and set aside.

Step 4

Cream the butter and sugar for 5-10 minutes in a food mixer or handheld beater until light and fluffy.

Step 5

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the creamed butter and sugar and mix in well. Then add the vanilla extract.

Step 6

Add the flour mixture alternately with the apple sauce, adding the flour in three additions and the apple sauce in two (begin and end with the flour), scrape down the sides of the bowls as needed and mix until just combined.

Step 7

Divide between the two cake tins.

Step 8

Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack completely before filling and covering with the buttercream.

Step 9

Tip the sugar into a small saucepan and heat on a medium temperature until the sugar melts. Do not touch with a spoon but you can encourage the melting by swirling the actual saucepan around occasionally if you like.

Step 10

Stir in the double cream and butter carefully and be prepared for it to bubble up furiously, the caramel may harden slightly but just keep on stirring the bubbly mixture until the cream, butter and sugar are smooth.

Step 11

Add the vanilla extract and salt, stir in quickly and remove from the heat.

Step 12

Pour the caramel directly into a glass jar, seal and place in the fridge to chill thoroughly before using.

Step 13

Cream the butter until soft then add the icing sugar and mix for about 10 minutes until very light and fluffy.

Step 14

Scoop in the cream cheese and chilled salted caramel and mix in thoroughly.

Step 15

Pre-heat oven to 160°C/ 140°C fan / gas mark 3.

Step 16

Fill a medium sized bowl ¾ of the way with water. Squeeze in the juice of ½ lemon and stir.

Step 17

Cut the apple very thinly across the core. Don’t bother to peel or core.

Step 18

Place all the apple slices in the lemon water for 5 minutes which helps to avoid apple browning.

Step 19

Dry the apple slices thoroughly on kitchen towel then place on a parchment lined baking tray.

Step 20

Place in the oven for 1 hour, turning the apples over halfway.

Step 21

Turn the heat off the oven and leave the apples inside to cool.

Step 22

Assembly

Step 23

Generously sandwich the buttercream between the two apple sponges and cover the sides and top. Decorate with the apple slices.