Nigella Lawson make a delicious cider and 5-spice bundt cake with smoky salted caramel sauce for the festive season on Simply Nigella Christmas Special.

Nigella says: “Most of the time I refer to this as my Cider and five-spice gingerbread, but I changed the name out of concern for those who expect a little more gingeriness from their gingerbead. If you want to intensify the ginger element, use 250ml ginger beer in place of the cider.

This cake is wonderful enough plain as it is, though I have something of a faiblesse for the gleaming accompaniment of the smoky salted caramel sauce, as you can see from the picture.”

The ingredients are: 250ml cider, preferably dry or at least not sweet, 175ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing, 100g soft dark brown sugar, 300g black treacle (use an oiled 1-cup measure for ease), 3 large free-range eggs, 3cm piece (15g) fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated, 300g plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, 2½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder and 1½ tsp ground cinnamon.

For the smoky salted caramel sauce: 75g unsalted butter, 50g soft light brown sugar, 50g caster sugar, 50g golden syrup, 125ml double cream and 2 teaspoons smoked sea salt flakes, or to taste.