This weekend I had to go old school with my baking. My electric scales broke and I had to dig out my cheap dial scale I got when I first went to uni which only has marks every 50g. It was scary. It was inaccurate. It was impossible to measure 80g. It… worked! It worked! The cake worked! And the icing! Despite the primitive measuring method! Phew. That was tense. Were you tense? Have some cake. It totally helps.
Toffee apple cake
Cake adapted from Cookies and Cups, icing adapted from Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days by Tarek Malouf
For the cake:
150g (2/3 cup) butter
300g (1.5 cups) light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
250g plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 small Braeburn apples, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
100g mini toffee or butterscotch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
For the icing:
80g (1/3 cup) butter, softened (I used lightly salted but recipe says unsalted)
250g (2 cups) icing (confectioner’s) sugar
25ml (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) milk
50g (1.75 oz or about 2 tbsp) dulce de leche or tinned caramel
Preheat the oven to 170C (350F) fan oven and grease and line a 9″x13″ tin.
Cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Gently stir in the flour and baking powder until just combined, then stir in the apple and toffee bits.
Spoon the mixture into the tin (it’s a bit thick to pour) and spread evenly around the tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes (mine took 23 minutes in a 170C fan oven) until golden and firm to touch. Cool on a wire rack while you make the icing.
In a large bowl, use a not-turned-on electric whisk to briefly mix the butter and icing sugar (if you turn it on you will be covered in icing sugar!). Mix until the butter is fairly evenly distributed and then pour the milk into the middle. Turn the whisk on and mix in the middle, gradually drawing in more from the outside until you have a smooth icing. Add the dulce de leche and whisk briefly so that the ingredients are evenly mixed. Spread on the apple cake and eat!
Cafe Lula 
Yup, I was totally stressed until I found out that it had worked. Phew. It’s beautiful and looks delicious. The addition of the dulce de leche in the frosting takes it over the top.
This cake looks yummy!! I love the idea of the toffee frosting!
Gaahhh I want some! More importantly, I want that frosting like all over my face.
You may have gone old school with your baking, but that is plain old fashioned amazing! Your pictures are stunning!
It looks absolutely stunning! The addition of the dulce de leche in the frosting just makes it perfect!
Oh my goodness does this cake look sooooo good. I love your recipe for the icing, it sounds so good with the dulce de leche. YUM! 🙂
Looks like it turned out perfectly! Who needs modern scales anyway? 🙂 love the idea of toffee apples in cake form, yum!
This really does sound lovely – and perfect for this time of year! I have the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, but not the one you mention. It sounds good!
This is an unusual but tasty recipe. I like the idea of apples and butterscotch in a cake, but have never seen it done before. Also, the ingredients in the icing is a nice way to compliment the cakes flavors. Glad you posted this one-well done!
Oh how delicious! I had to buzz, I love the idea of apples and toffee together in a cake.
Oh I love toffee so much! This looks and sounds so delicious! YUM!!
I’m so glad it worked! Such a fabulous cake…and great idea to add toffee….mmmmmm.
Oh your cake looks delicious. Dulce de leche in the icing is a fantastic idea!
I want a slice of that for breakfast! Yes, I know it said cake…
toffee + apples in a cake sound fabulous! 🙂 welcome to our #applelove bloghop!
great combo and it looks amazing… love your pictures
mmmm toffy and apple are a match made in culinary heaven.