Blackberry & apple mallow traybake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 140g unsalted butter, softened, plus a little for greasing
• 140g golden caster sugar
• 1 egg
  
   and 2 yolks, beaten together
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 100g self-raising flour
• 100g ground almond
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or ½ ground)
• 1 large Bramley apple
  
  , about 200g, peeled and sliced (to give about 140g)
• 125g blackberry
  
   (avoid 'dessert' blackberries, as they lack bite)

For the mallow and to finish

• 25g blackberry
  
• 100g white caster sugar, plus 1 tsp for the ripple
• 2 egg white
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp toasted flaked almond
• a little icing sugar, to dust (optional)

  Method

  1. First make the blackberry sauce to ripple through the mallow. Put the berries and 1 tsp sugar in a small bowl and cover with cling film. Microwave for 30 secs on High. Alternatively, add 1 tsp water then soften in a pan over a low heat. Mash well until saucy, then leave to cool.
  2. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm square traybake tin, leaving some overhang. Using electric beaters or a hand whisk, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until very pale and creamy, then beat in the egg and yolks, followed by the vanilla. Mix the flour, almonds, baking powder, nutmeg and a pinch of salt, then fold into the fluffy mix to make a very thick batter.
  3. Fold in the apple, then spoon into the tin and smooth over the top. Scatter with the blackberries, poke them in just a little, then bake for 45 mins until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. After removing, leave the oven on.
  4. For the mallow topping, you’ll need a large piping bag with a 1cm nozzle, or a food bag with a corner snipped off. Whisk the egg whites, lemon juice and a pinch of salt to stiff peaks. Add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time, whisking well after each spoonful, to make a shiny, stiff meringue. Ripple with the cooled blackberry mix, then spoon into the bag. Pipe 16 evenly spaced, walnut-sized meringues on top of the cake (you’ll have some left over), scatter with the toasted almonds, then bake for 10-12 mins until the meringues are just set. Cool in the tin for 30 mins, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Add a dusting of icing sugar, if you like, then cut into squares.
• Source: bbcgoodfood.com