Fresh Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A moist, cinnamon-spiced cake with loads of fresh apple pieces throughout, this is a family favorite. Cream cheese icing is mandatory. It can be made a day or two in advance and keeps well refrigerated for several days - if it lasts that long!
Serves: 12-14
Time: 2 hours plus plus cooling
4 c. peeled, ¼” diced apples - measure after peeling and dicing (I use a combination of Golden Delicious and Granny Smith)
2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. liquid vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs, well beaten
1 c. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 13” x 9” baking pan and set aside. (If you plan to remove the cake from the pan to ice the sides, line the bottom of the pan with baking parchment.)
In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, eggs, and nuts – in order – stir to combine thoroughly. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir the dry ingredients into the apple mixture, stirring gently until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and no dry lumps remain. Transfer batter to the baking pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. (Cupcakes and smaller layers will bake in 25-35 minutes depending on the size of the pan.)
Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting
Many cream cheese icings are too soft to be able to pipe. This one is still soft but has enough body to use for simple piped borders and decorations and hold it’s shape.
Enough to frost one 13” x 9” cake or 18 cupcakes
4 oz. full-fat cream cheese
3 oz. unsalted butter
12 oz. XXX sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Cream together the cream cheese and butter for several minutes until thoroughly combined, very pale, and very soft and creamy. Add vanilla extract and salt and beat to incorporate. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating thoroughly after each addition. Icing will get firmer as it is beaten.
This is probably my mother-in-law’s most well-known dessert among family and friends. It is our daughters’ favorite cake and was served in cupcake form at both of their weddings. It is well-suited to staying in the cake pan with icing slathered on just the top, baked into layers for a fully iced layer cake, or made into bite-size or regular-sized iced cupcakes.