Apple and cinnamon crunch cake with cinnamon anglaise

1.Peel apples, leaving stems intact.

2.Combine the water, 2 cups sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan large enough to hold apples in a single layer; stir over high heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, add apples; cover apples with a round of baking paper and a heatproof plate to keep apples submerged in syrup. Return to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 8 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove apples from pan with a slotted spoon. Cool 10 minutes.

3.Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F. Insert base of a 26cm (10½-inch) springform pan upside down in pan to make cake easier to remove. Grease closed pan. Line base with baking paper.

4.Beat butter, extract and remaining 1 cup sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in ground almonds, sifted flour and buttermilk, in 2 batches. Spread mixture into pan.

5.Place apples, evenly spaced, around outside edge of pan, pushing apples down to the base of pan. Bake cake 30 minutes.

6.Meanwhile, make cinnamon crunch topping. Melt butter in a small saucepan; stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

7.Crumble topping over cake; bake further 45 minutes. Stand cake in pan 15 minutes.

8.Meanwhile, make cinnamon anglaise. Bring cream, milk and cinnamon to the boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, cover; stand 20 minutes. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until creamy. Gradually whisk in warm milk mixture. Return mixture to pan; stir over medium-high heat, without boiling, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Strain into a medium jug; discard cinnamon stick.

9.Serve warm cake with cinnamon anglaise.