At Dragonfly we love salted caramel and we love apple cake. We combined the two and rounded the whole thing off with our own chai tea infused sweetness.
Apple crisps (optional):
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and grease and line 2 x 20cm loose-bottomed round baking tins.
Soak the apple pieces in lemon juice for a couple of minutes and put to one side. In a large bowl, beat the soft butter, Dragonfly tea-infused sugar and lemon zest, then gradually add the eggs, mixing well. Fold in the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and mixed spice.
Drain the apple pieces and stir into the cake mix. Divide equally between the two tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool fully.
To make the caramel buttercream, beat all the ingredients together until completely combined.
To make the salted caramel icing, put all the ingredients into a pan and stir until melted and liquid. Transfer to a bowl, then leave to cool for 10 minutes.
To make the apple crisps: cut the Pink Lady apple across the middle into 20 extremely thin slices; place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Mix the lemon juice and clear honey and brush over the slices. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 140°C until dried and leave to cool.
To assemble, spread the caramel buttercream evenly over one of the cakes, then top with the other cake. Spoon over the salted caramel icing generously so that it drips down the sides. Top with the apple crisps and enjoy!