Apple, lemon and polenta cake

Recipe by Tanya Heathcote

For the apples:
70g butter
40g Selati white sugar
5ml cinnamon
600g eating apples, peeled, cored and diced into 2cm pieces

For the cake:
130g ground almonds
150g cake flour
150g polenta
1 tsp baking powder
2.5ml salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
200ml Selati castor snow
180g double cream yoghurt
4XL eggs
180ml oil

For the nut topping:
100g almonds, raw & unsalted
15ml butter, melted
1 Tbs Selati White sugar
2 sprigs   fresh thyme, leaves removed
2.5ml cinnamon
Pinch of salt
*When decorating, finish cake off by adding lemon blossoms & fresh thyme to nut topping

For the Yoghurt:
250ml double cream yoghurt
Selati Icing snow, sifted to taste

Preheat oven to 180 degrees
Grease a 26cm loose bottomed cake tin.
For the nut topping; In a bowl combine the almonds, melted butter, sugar, thyme, cinnamon and pinch of salt
Pop the nut mixture onto a baking tray and into the oven and allow to roast & caramelise until crunchy, sticky, golden brown and crunchy.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. While the nuts are roasting make the caramelised apples.
Melt the   butter, sugar & cinnamon in a pan, bring to the boil and allow it to bubble until the mixture starts to lightly brown.
Lower the heat slightly, add in the cubed apples and cook until all the apple pieces are coated in the caramel mixture and nicely golden.
Remove from the heat and set aside. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients.
Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture and fold in until no trace of flour remains. Add the caramelised apples into the mixture.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the top with the back of your spatula.
Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
While the cake is baking make your yoghurt topping. Combine all the ingredients, adding as much or little sugar as you prefer.
Once the cake is done, allow to cool slightly before removing from the cake tin and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Once completely cooled, top with the yoghurt topping and sprinkle with the caramelised nuts, fresh thyme & lemon blossoms.