Garden harvest cake

Apple blackberry and elderberry cake with toasted fig leaf caramel mascarpone frosting

Course Dessert

Cuisine european

Servings 8

220 grams softened unsalted butter
120 grams caster sugar
100 grams soft brown sugar
4 eggs
220 grams self raising flour
1 large apple, peeled and cored and chopped into small chunks
200 grams blackberries
3 heads elderberries (berries from 3 large elderberry bunches) approx half a cup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt ( i used smoked salt)
3 tbsp milk or yogurt to loosen cake mixture

preheat the oven to 160c, grease and line three shallow cake tins, or use 2 smaller ones
Fit a stand mixer with a balloon whisk or use a hand held electric whisk and beat the butter for a minute so it is soft then add the sugar and cream until it is pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 2 minutes and scraping the bowl with a spatula before adding the next egg. Once all eggs are added turn up speed and mix for a few seconds.
Turn off mixer, mix the flour, salt and cinnamon together and sift in and gently fold in using the spatula, then add a tbsp of flour to the chopped apples, blackberries and elderberries to coat and fold in to the cake batter.
Add milk, or yogurt to loosen the mixture and fold in, then divide evenly between the prepared tins and place in the oven and bake for 25, 30 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.
let the cakes cool in the tins for 20 mins, then peel off baking paper and leave to cool fully on a cooling rack.

Cut stems off the fig leaves.
Turn on the grill and position the oven shelf under it, place the fig leaves on a tray and gently toast for a minute, then turn and toast for another minute, until the edges curl up and they start to get a little colour.
Pour, 500 ml of milk in a pan and bring to a gentle simmer and add the leaves and turn off the heat, stir the milk and bash the leaves, then pour into a bowl with the leaves and place plastic wrap onto the surface of the milk so a skin doesn't form and leave to cool.
Once cool place in the fridge over night to infuse
The next day strain the milk into a large high sided pan and squeeze the leaves and discard.
Add the sugar and turn on heat and whisk to combine over the heat, stir continuously until the milk turns a golden brown caramel colour and thickens approx 25 minutes. Being careful that the milk doesn't burn and stick to the bottom of the pan.
In another pan heat the other 500ml of milk and vanilla and heat until it just reaches the boil, carefully (it will bubble up) pour into the large pan and whisk to combine it then continue stirring over the heat until you get a nice thick golden caramel.
Add salt and pour into jars or a bowl to cool

preheat oven to 180c 350f
Thinly slice and apple with a mandolin slicer and press the slices into some sugar both sides and place on a lined baking tray
Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully flip the apples and bake for another 10/15 minutes, gently peel off the paper (try not to burn your fingers) and let cool on a cooling rack. (they should be hard and caramelised)

Whisk the mascarpone until soft and add enough caramel to sweeten it to your taste, i used about a half a cup. Place one of the cake layers on cake board and add some of the frosting and spread to cover then add the next layer, then continue with the next layer. I have made this with two layers and kept the edges unfrosted and made it with three layers and smoothed frosting around edges, what ever you want to do.
For the frosted version I added more caramel and smoothed it around with a pallet knife to finish.

Keyword apple, blackberry, elderberry, fig leaf, harvest cake