Name: Apple cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: serving
Cuisine: Bake
Ingredients: 4 apples; 280 g flour; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp Baking powder; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 120 ml sunflower oil olive oil is optional; 160 g castor sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 eggs lightly beaten; 1 lemon zested; 2 egg whites; 100 g butter room temperature; 100 g muscovado sugar; 85 ml maple syrup; 250 g cream cheese at room temperature

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Ingredients (16)

4	apples
280 g	flour
1/2 tsp	ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp	salt
1/2 tsp	Baking powder
1/4 tsp	baking soda
120 ml	sunflower oil — olive oil is optional
160 g	castor sugar
1 tsp	vanilla extract
2	eggs — lightly beaten
1	lemon — zested
2	egg whites
100 g	butter — room temperature
100 g	muscovado sugar
85 ml	maple syrup
250 g	cream cheese — at room temperature

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Method:

Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease and line a 20 – 23 cm spring form pan (bottom and sides) with baking paper

Using an electric mixer beat the oil, sugar and vanilla extract together, and then add the eggs, one at a time, ensuring they are well incorporated before adding the next one.
Sift together all the dry ingredients and set aside.
By hand, add the apples and lemon zest and fold this through the wet mixture.
Mix the egg whites using an electric mixer until they form firm peaks. Gently fold these by hand through the cake batter, trying not to knock all the air out.

Fill the baking tin and bake for 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours until the cake is done (to test insert a sharp skewer or knife in the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, it is done). Cool in the tin.

When it’s cool, make the frosting / icing. Beat the butter, muscovado sugar and maple syrup together until it is light and fluffy (use an electric mixer with a whisk or paddle attachment).

Add the cream cheese and beat until the frosting is totally smooth.
Slice the cooled cake in half horizontally and spread about 1xm of the frosting (about a third) over the bottom layer. Place the top layer on and ice the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
Dust with icing sugar (optional) or decorate with chopped walnuts.

Notes
If your cake top is turning too dark during the baking, loosely cover with foil about half way through.

Recipe reprinted with permission of Sasko.