Apple Custard Tea Cake

PREPARATION TIME: 25 minutes COOKING TIME:1 hour 20 minutes SERVES: 8

200g butter, softened CUSTARD
½ cup (110g) caster sugar 2 tablespoons custard powder
2 eggs ¼ cup (55g) caster sugar
1 ¼ cups (185g) self-raising flour 1 cup (250ml) milk
1/3 cup (40g) custard powder 20g butter
2 medium green apples (300g),
peeled, sliced thinly 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons caster sugar, extra
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 Preheat oven to moderate (180C/160C fan-forced). Grease deep 22cm-round cake pan; line base with baking paper.

2 Make custard.

3 Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Stir in sifted flour and custard powder.

4 Spread half of the cake mixture into pan; top with custard. Top custard with spoonfuls of the remaining cake mixture; gently spread with spatula to completely cover custard. Arrange apples on top; brush with melted butter then sprinkle with combined extra sugar and cinnamon. Bake, uncovered, 1 ¼ hours : cool in pan.

CUSTARD Combine custard powder and sugar in small saucepan; gradually add milk, stir over heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in butter and extract. Press plastic wrap over surface of custard; cool. Whisk until smooth just before using.

PER SERVING 27.5g total fat (17.5g saturated); 1952kj (467 cal); 49.3g carbohydrate; 5.3g protein; 1.4g fibre.