Cinnamon and Caramel cake

IngredientsFor the cake
•8 free-range eggs

•290g/10oz light brown sugar

•2 tsp ground cinnamon

•200g/7oz plain flour

•1 tsp fresh nutmeg

•4 tsp cornflour

•45g/1½oz unsalted butter, melted, cooled

For the caramel icing
•160ml/5½fl oz water

•250g/8¾oz sugar

•5 free-range egg whites, at room temperature

•½ tsp cream of tartar

•300g/10½oz unsalted butter, softened

For the sugar syrup
•50g/1¾oz sugar

•120ml/4¼fl oz water

•1½ tbsp vanilla extract

•
To decorate
•50g/1¾oz walnut pieces

•50g/1¾oz banana chips
Preparation method1.Preheat oven to 175C/350F/Gas 4. Line three 20cm/8in sandwich tins, but don’t grease them.

2.Whisk the eggs lightly in a bowl until foaming, then slowly whisk in the sugar using an electric whisk. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and continue to whisk until the sugar has melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk until the mixture reaches the ribbon stage.

3.Mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and cornflour together in a bowl. Sift one-third of the flour mixture into the egg mixture and gently fold together. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture until well combined.

4.Beat a small amount of the cake batter into the butter, then fold this mixture into the rest of the cake batter.

5.Divide the cake batter among the cake tins and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled, run a round-bladed knife around the inside edge of the tins and turn out onto a wire rack.

6.Meanwhile, for the caramel icing, whisk the egg whites in a bowl with an electric whisk until frothy. Add the cream of tartar then whisk until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.

7.Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan until the temperature reaches 115C/238F (use a sugar thermometer to check this).

8.Pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl of egg whites and continue whisking for about 3 minutes. Set the mixture aside for 10 minutes to cool, then slowly beat in the butter until thick and smooth.

9.For the sugar syrup, heat the sugar and water over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the volume of the liquid has reduced slightly. Add the vanilla extract and set aside to cool.

10.To decorate the cake, brush the cakes with sugar syrup using a pastry brush, then use the caramel icing to fill and ice the top and sides. Decorate with the crumbled banana chips and walnut pieces