Apple Cake with Maple Frosting

Our berries have been stolen by chipmunks ... the little beggars have plucked any with even a bit of color and I am left with apples in my fridge. Instead of fresh biscuits and strawberries, I have been reduced to making an apple cake ... ah well. It's a pretty cake loaded with small diced apple bits and golden raisins soaked and puffed to perfection. The last of the maple syrup was added to butter and cream cheese to make a frothy bowl of frosting and voila! Another beautiful cake ...

Let those little thieves have the berries for the time being. We have apple cake with maple frosting !

This is a dense and very moist cake that is reminiscent of carrot cake. It has a big soft crumb and super moist chunks of fruit that are spread throughout the cake. It's a good keeper of a cake in that it stays terrific for a couple days ... sorry no photos of cut pieces, as it went to the little white church for fellowship time  ... it's a very good cake. Trust me.

Apple and Olive Oil Cake with Maple Frosting

an Ottolenghi recipe

Cake Ingredients:

4 tbsp. water

1/2 c. golden raisins

2 1/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c.olive oil

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs, beaten

3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, small dice (1/2 inch)

zest f one lemon

2 egg whites, whipped to soft peaks

Maple Frosting Ingredients:

7 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

a scant 1/2 c. Muscovado sugar

1/4 c. maple syrup

8 oz. cream cheese, softened 

Making the Cake:

1. Pre heat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease an 8-inch spring form pan and line it with parchment paper.

2. Place the water and golden raisins in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and turn off the heat. Let the raisins soak until cool.

3. Sift together in a small bowl the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

4. Beat the olive oil, sugar and vanilla extract together until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.

5. Turn in the diced apples, raisins and any residual fluid, and lemon zest. Mix well.

6. Turn in the dry mix and stir to a thick batter.

7. Turn in the egg white meringue in two additions, gently turning in until incorporated.

8. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours. A cake tester should come clean.

9. Cool the cake for five minutes and then release the outer band of the spring form pan. Let the cake, then, cool completely.

10. Use a serrated knife to slice the cake into two even layers.

11. Whip the frosting ingredients in a deep bowl until perfectly smooth and frothy.

12. Place half the frosting on the bottom layer. Top with the second layer and frost the top of the second layer.

13. Chill the cake before serving to set the frosting.