Guernsey cider cake - Gâche à cidre

Ingredients: For the cake: 180g sultanas 150ml dry cider 250g soft brown sugar 180g unsalted butter Zest of one lemon (optional, I left it out) 2 eggs 250g self raising flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the custard buttercream (optional): 150ml milk (whole or semi skimmed) 125g caster sugar 2 egg yolks 175g unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract How to make: Soak the sultanas in the cider for at least an hour before making the cake. This will give the sultanas time to absorb some cider and become fat and juicy. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Line a deep 20cm round cake tin. You can, if you prefer, make cupcakes. I’m not sure how many you will get because I made the 20cm cake. Cream together the butter and sugar. This will take quite a while as brown sugar is coarser than caster sugar. Don’t skimp as this is an important stage; using my kitchen aid at a medium speed it took about 10 minutes until I had something light and smooth. If you’re using it, add the lemon zest and stir in. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour and cinnamon. Stir in the sultanas and cider. The sultanas won’t completely absorb the cider so make sure you pour in all the cider too! Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for approximately 1 hour or until a skewer comes out cleanly. Mine took 1 hour 10 minutes. If you are making cupcakes instead, check after 20 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack. You can make the cake a day before serving it but I recommend making the buttercream on the day.

To make the buttercream: place the milk and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl and then pour the milk onto the yolks whisking all the time. Return the custard mix to the saucepan and, stirring all the time, cook over a medium heat just until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Take your time over this – if you have too fierce a heat your eggs might scramble! Pour into a bowl and leave to cool slightly. Beat the butter until it is fluffy and light. Gradually beat in the now room temperature custard to the butter. Finally beat in the vanilla extract. Spread over the top of the cake or cupcakes.