Mini apple cakes with salted caramel sauce

These little apple cakes are a real mix of retro puddings and up-to-date desserts. The apple sponge is moist and delicious, but the addition of the salted caramel sauce truly makes all the difference. You could also forgo the effort of making the caramel sauce and instead drizzle them with some Highbank Orchard syrup to finish.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease eight dariole moulds.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until they are incorporated. Fold through the flours, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Stir though the apple and place the batter into the dariole moulds. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn the cakes out of the moulds and leave to cool on a wire rack.

To make the sauce, place the butter, sugar, and golden syrup into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, then simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cream, vanilla and salt and whisk together. Simmer for a further three minutes, until the sauce is thick and sticky. Use right away, or transfer to a jar and refrigerate when cool, to use as needed. The sauce will keep for up to seven days refrigerated.

For the whiskey cream, whisk the cream into soft peaks. Dissolve the icing sugar with the whiskey in a bowl and then add this to the cream, folding to combine. To serve, place a cake on each individual plate, spoon some whiskey cream on top and pour some salted caramel over everything.