Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4 and grease a 20 x 30cm ovenproof dish with butter. Peel the apples and cut into quarters. Remove the cores, then slice the apples thinly.

Put the apple slices into a large saucepan with two tablespoons of the sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally over low heat for 10 minutes or until softened. Stir in the cinnamon and allspice, taste to see if it is sweet enough for you, add more sugar if necessary and set aside.

Meanwhile, beat the softened butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt, then stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until a soft dough forms. Knead it a couple of times with your hand to bring it together and form it into a ball.

Divide the dough in half, and use your fingers to press one half into the prepared tin so that it evenly covers the base, then spread over the stewed apples. Tear off small pieces of the remaining pastry, flatten them out between your hands, then place on top of the apples, overlapping each slightly to form a lid. It’s supposed to look rustic, but try not to leave any gaps - see pictures.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until golden brown and the kitchen smells amazing. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before dusting generously with icing sugar, slicing and serving. Keeps for several days in the fridge and can be frozen. Makes 8 slices.