2 cups water (or 11/2 cups water,1/2 cup green ginger wine)
2 cups prunes and/or plump dried apricots
2 tablespoons baking soda
3 cups flour
2 1/2 cups Chelsea Caster Sugar
250g butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 cups peeled and diced apple

Topping
1 1/3 cups Chelsea Soft Brown Sugar
120g butter
2 cups shredded desiccated coconut
175ml milk

Bring water to the boil. Add prunes and/or apricots and simmer 2 minutes then add the baking soda. In large bowl mix all other ingredients thoroughly then add the prune mixture. Pour into a well-greased or baking-paper-lined deep 30cm cake tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 150°C.

Mix all the topping ingredients in an saucepan until butter has melted. Pour on top of the cake and bake for a further 30 minutes (may need more) until golden coloured and set.

A Best Ever recipe from the Chelsea Great New Zealand Bake-off tested by Jo Seagar.