Naughty but (so) nice

Salted-caramel apple and fig cake

This cake is so moist, packed with fruit and is better eaten the day after baking. Lasts well for a week.

Serves 8

- 6 Granny Smith apples, cored, thinly sliced

- 2 pears, cored, thinly sliced

- 1 lemon, juice and zest

- 300g dried figs, chopped

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

- 3 eggs

- 3/4 cup brown sugar

- 100g butter, melted

- 100ml milk

- 350g plain flour

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1 cup salted caramel

Combine the apple slices, pear, lemon zest, juice, figs and cinnamon in a bowl. In another bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until creamy. Whisk in the butter and milk. Sift the flour and baking powder and fold through the egg mixture. Grease and line a round cake tin, about 24cm. Pour in half the batter. Top with half the apple mixture. Pour over half the salted caramel. Repeat layers with batter, apples and caramel. Bake at 160C for 90 minutes.

Salted-caramel apple and fig cake.

Pancakes with salted caramel, banana and coconut

Adding egg whites to your pancake mix makes them so much lighter.

Makes about 12 small pancakes

- 1 3/4 cups plain flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 tbsp caster sugar

- 3/4 cup desiccated coconut

- pinch salt

- 3 egg yolks

- 1 1/2 cups milk

- 1 cup yoghurt

- 60g butter, melted

- 3 egg whites

- butter to cook pancakes

- 1 cup salted caramel

- 6 bananas, sliced

- 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add the sugar, desiccated coconut and salt. Whisk the egg yolks, milk and yoghurt together followed by the butter. Fold this mixture through the flour mixture to form a batter — it should be pouring consistency. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold through the batter. Heat about two teaspoons butter in a crepe pan. Pour in about two tablespoons batter. Cook for a few minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. Add salted caramel to a frying pan. Add the banana and shredded coconut. Cook for a minute or two until banana is caramelised. Serve the pancakes with caramelised banana.

Pancakes with salted caramel, banana and coconut.

Date, pecan and salted-caramel puddings

These little puddings can be made in advance and reheated.

Makes 8

- 200g pitted dates, finely chopped

- 1 tbsp bicarbonate soda

- 100g butter, softened

- 1 1/4 cups caster sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla essence

- 3 eggs

- 250g self-raising flour, sifted

- 125g pecans, chopped

- 1 cup salted caramel, heated to pouring consistency

- 1 Fuji fruit, thinly sliced for garnish

Add dates with 400ml water to a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat and add bicarbonate soda. Set aside to cool. Beat together butter, sugar and vanilla essence until creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Fold through the flour, then the date mixture. Mix in the pecans. Grease dariole moulds well. Drizzle a little salted caramel into the moulds. Then fill moulds with the date and pecan mixture. Place in a baking dish. Fill with warm water to come halfway up the moulds. Bake at 180C for about 20 minutes. To serve, unmould, top with a Fuji fruit slice and drizzle over a little more salted caramel as desired.

Date, pecan and salted-caramel puddings.

Salted Caramel

Makes 1 cup

- 100g brown sugar

- 100g caster sugar

- 100g unsalted butter

- 100ml double cream

- 1 tsp sea salt

Place sugars in a saucepan. Simmer to melt, stirring. Then add butter a little at a time, simmering until mixture comes together, stirring. Remove from heat and stir through cream and salt. Set aside. Use in the featured desserts or drizzle over ice-cream. Keeps well for about 2 weeks refrigerated.

Salted Caramel.