Method (cake)

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC fan and line an 8 x 8 inch square cake tin with greaseproof paper. Allow the paper to hang over the tin slightly, this makes it easier to remove the cake when baked.
2. In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift the sugar, flour, ground spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine. Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Fold in the chopped apple.
5. Spoon the batter into the lined tin. Level it out with the back of a spoon or offset spatula.
6. Place the cake into the middle of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know it is done when you put a knife or skewer down the middle of the cake and it comes out clean and it’s springy to the touch. If batter comes off on the skewer, it needs more time to bake. To prevent burning, top the cake with some greaseproof paper then return back into the oven.
7. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully transfer onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool fully before frosting. You can even place the cake in a sealed container once cool then frost the day after. It’s a very light sponge so be careful with it when removing from the tin.

Method (caramel)

1. Add all of the caramel ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan. Place on the hob, heat the caramel on low / medium, stirring all the time until it turns a amber colour. This will take approximately 15-20 minutes. You want the caramel to be thick enough that when you stir it, it coats the back of a spoon / spatula. You don’t want to cook it so it reaches soft or hard ball stages so it will become like toffee and will be impossible to pipe.
2. Once ready, pour the caramel into a heat proof bowl and set aside for it to cool down. It can be kept in the refrigerator.
3. Transfer the caramel into a piping bag and snip off the tip. 
4. Poke holes in the cake using the base / handle of a wooden spoon and pipe in some of the caramel.

Method (buttercream)

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter and oat whipping cream, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
2. Sift in the icing sugar and ground cinnamon. Whip on high speed for around 5 minutes to incorporate it. Add a splash of dairy-free milk if needed. If the buttercream is too thick, add some more chunks of butter. If it’s too soft, add more icing sugar. You want it smooth, creamy and airy.
3. Dollop or pipe some of the white buttercream on top and spread out until even using an off-set spatula or pallet knife.
4. Transfer some buttercream in to 2 separate bowls. Colour one with red good jel and a small amount with green food gel. Transfer into separate piping bags with round tip nozzles, or simple snip off the tips.
5. Use the red buttercream to pipe little apple shapes around the cake in a scattered pattern. Use the green buttercream to pipe on some leafs.
6. Drizzle some left over caramel on top of the cake.
7. Slice and enjoy!