Spice Medallion Cake w/Caramel Sauce

Having bought a new cake pan I wanted to try out the recipe on the packaging.  That was for a spiced cake, using cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and all spice. Then, to serve as a dessert, a caramel sauce.  Although I made the cakes in my new pan I also made one in a mini brioche tin too.  A muffin tin would work well too, or indeed any individual cake tin would be fine

The recipe is quite straightforward and I cut it down to make just 6 individual cakes as that is all I needed.  Doubling the ingredients would give enough batter for 12 hole pan.

Once the cakes are baked and are cooling making a quick caramel sauce is easy too, and you can make as much or as little as you like.  For mine I made just a small amount which worked very well.
I also used light brown sugar which gave a great flavour.  For a more intense flaour dark brown sugar would work very well.

My cakes turned out very well indeed, the perfect amount and blend of spices.  Eaten with the caramel sauce they made a really very good dessert.

Ingredients:  (makes 6)
For the cakes:

• 95g(3/4 cup) plain flour
• 150g(3/4 cup) caster or granulated sugar
• 65g(1/4 cup) apple sauce(mine had small lumps of apple which was fine, but smooth would be good)
• 60ml(1/4 cup) flavourless oil
• 1 medium egg(large in the USA)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground all spice

For the caramel sauce:

• 50g(1/4 cup) light(or dark) brown sugar
• 60 ml(1/4 cup) double cream
• 1/2 tbsp golden syrup(or corn syrup)
• 20g(1 1/2 tbsp) butter in chunks
• pinch of salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/375F.
2. Grease and flour a 6 hole cake pan of your choice.
3. Mix the spices and baking powder in the flour and set aside.
4. In a medium sized bowl whisk the sugar and oil together for about a minute.
5. Add the egg and whisk to combine.
6. Add the apple sauce and whisk to combine.
7. Fold in the flour in two additions until fully combined.
8. Divide the mixture evenly between the holes of the cake pan.
9. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely.
11. Place the butter, sugar, golden syrup and cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
12. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes, stirring, until it has thickened a little.  Turn off the heat and stir in the pinch of salt.
13. Allow the sauce to cool somewhat before serving with the cakes.