For the cake:

1/2 lb baking apples (weighed when peeled and cored)

3/4 cup Billington's Dark Brown Molasses Sugar or Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Dark Brown Sugar

3/4 stick butter

1/2 cup golden syrup or honey

1/2 cup milk

1 medium, cage-free egg

1 cup wholemeal self-rising flour

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground mixed spice

For the icing:

1/2 cup Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Powdered Sugar, sieved

1/4 stick butter

5 tablespoons evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cook the apples in a small amount of water until pulpy.  Transfer to a bowl, mash well and allow to cool.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease and line an 8-inch square cake tin.

Put the Dark Brown Molasses Sugar, butter and golden syrup/honey into a saucepan and heat gently to melt.  Cool for a few minutes, stir in the milk, and then add the egg.  Sift the flour, salt, ginger and mixed spice into a large bowl.  (You'll be left with bran bits in the sieve - just add these back to the sifted flour.)  Add the melted mixture, then the cooled apple, beating well until combined.  Pour into the prepared tin.

Bake for approximately 1 hour, until firm to the touch.  Lift onto a cooling rack and cool in the tin.  Turn out.  Remove the lining paper.

To decorate the cake, put the Powdered Sugar, butter and evaporated milk into a heavy saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves.  Bring to the boil and boil without stirring for about 2 minutes, or until a small drop of the mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into a cup of cold water.  Remove from the heat, add the vanilla essence and cinnamon, and stir until the icing thickens.  Spread over the cake and scatter the chopped walnuts on top.