Apple & miso cake with miso butterscotch

1. For the apples, add the butter to a frying pan and warm over a high heat. Once melted, add the apples and cook, flipping every 20 seconds or so, until they start to colour all over. The process will take about 5 minutes. Add the honey then remove from the heat. Set aside until you make the batter.

2. Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5 and lightly butter a deep, 18cm cake tin. Place the butter, icing sugar, lemon zest and miso in a food processor, then blitz until it becomes creamy. Mix the eggs and dried yeast then, with the motor running, add to the butter in a slow, steady stream, until it is all combined. Stir in the whisky, if using.

3. Add the flour, ½ the oats, ground ginger and a pinch of salt and mix well until combined. Add the cooked apples and their juice (keep the frying pan to make the sauce – you don’t want to create more washing up). Fold the apple into the cake batter, then transfer to the tin. Scatter over the remaining oats. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cake feels nice and springy. Remove and cool a little in the tin.

4. When ready to serve, make the butterscotch sauce. Return the frying pan to a high heat and add the butter, honey, miso and sugar. Mix well with a wooden spoon and stir constantly until the sugar melts and the mixture comes together to a smooth caramel. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes until it turns a lovely amber.

5. Remove from the heat and continue stirring all the time, while adding the cream in a steady stream. Finally, add the whisky, if using, and stir to combine. You can serve the sauce warm, or set it aside until ready, but don’t put it in the fridge or it may set solid. You can also warm it carefully again before serving. Serve the sauce with the warm cake, and if you wish, a little vanilla ice cream.