Apple Snack Cake with Maple-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Servings 16 +/-
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch Baking Dish
- Wire Cooling Rack
Ingredients
Cake:
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 Honeycrisp apple peeled and diced
- 2½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
Maple-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter 4 tbsp, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp real maple syrup
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x13-inch glass baking dish, or coat it with cooking spray.
- Make the cake by whisking the light brown sugar and eggs in a large bowl until pale and foamy.
- Add the applesauce, oil, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves. Whisk until well combined.
- Stir in the apples.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually stir in the flour mixture to the apple mixture until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smooth the top, and firmly tap it on a countertop a few times to release air bubbles.
- Bake the cake until golden and puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Cool the cake completely in the baking dish on a wire cooling rack.
- Make the frosting by beating the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon on high speed, occasionally scraping the bottom & sides of the bowl, until smooth and fluffy.
- Frost the cake by spreading frosting over the cooled cake and serve.
- Store any leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.