Sunday Baking: Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

October 23, 2011

This apple cake with cream cheese frosting is an amazing fall dessert.  The cake is made from applesauce and warm holiday spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  The slightly tart cream cheese frosting compliments the sweet moist apple cake.  You can buy the applesauce but since it's apple season, it would taste better if you made you own.  I use this quick and easy recipe.  You can have this cake in the morning with your coffee or enjoy a slice after dinner.  Either way, you'll be wanting to make this dynamite apple cake this season.

Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple Cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups apple sauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 
Frosting:
4 ounces regular bar cream cheese, room temperature
4 ounces light cream cheese, room temperature
5 cups confectioner sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons half and half

Directions:
 
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the oil and both kinds of sugar. Then add the eggs, vanilla and apple sauce. Gradually add in the flour mixture and milk and beat until smooth.
 
Grease the bottom of two square baking dishes and divide the batter among the two.
 
Bake for 22-25 minutes in a pre-heated oven.
 
In a mixer, beat softened cream cheese with confectioner sugar until just incorporated.  Add half and half and vanilla and beat until smooth.
 
Cool and spread cream cheese frosting. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready-to-eat.

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