Porridge oats and oat drink combine to make a wonderfully airy sponge, concealing sweet, caramel-coated apples. Best served in a puddle of cream!

Ingredients

To make a 20cm round cake (Serves6-8):

• 3 large apples, cored, peeled and sliced into segments
• 200g unsalted butter
• 200g light brown soft sugar
• 80g porridge oats
• 100g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 75ml unsweetened oat drink (or milk)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• single cream, custard or ice cream, to serve

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C
• Put the apple segments in a baking dish about 20cm diameter and 5-6cm tall (or a 17cm × 21cm rectangular dish)
• Put 70g butter, 70g sugar and a pinch of salt in a small pan and heat gently to melt. Increase the heat and bubble for 1-2 minutes, until it becomes a sticky sauce. Pour over the apple segments and set aside (put the empty pan to one side, too)
• Put 70g porridge oats in a food processor and whizz until coarsely ground. Add the flour and baking powder; pulse to combine
• Put the remaining 130g butter and 130g sugar in the pan used earlier, along with the oat drink; set over a medium heat until the butter has melted. Take off the heat and add the eggs; stir to thoroughly until combined and then stir in the flour and oats.
• Tip the oat sponge mixture over the apples, then scatter over the remaining 10g oats. Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-50 minutes, covering after 30 minutes if browning too quickly. It’s ready when springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean -just be careful to test only the sponge, as the pears will be sticky!

Serve with more oat cream, double cream or ice cream.