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Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 2-1/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1-2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp. Apple Pie Spice (or combine 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg)
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter (softened)
  • 4 cups peeled/cored apples, finely chopped into(1/4" to 1/2") pieces, about 1 1/3 pounds whole apples*
  • 2 Tbsp. boiled cider, optional
  • 1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans (diced)**

*For a cake with more texture, leave the peels on the apples, and chop them coarsely rather than finely.

**To toast nuts, place them in a single layer in a cake pan. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 6 to 9 minutes, until they're golden brown and smell "toasty."

Frosting Ingredients

  • 7 Tbsp. butter
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup milk or 2 Tbsp. milk + 2 Tbsp. boiled cider
  • 2-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Cake Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9" x 13" pan.
  2. Mix the CAKE ingredients (except the apples and nuts) in a large bowl. Mix until it becomes uniformly crumbly.
  3. Add apples, boiled cider, and nuts, and stir until the mixture becomes a thick, creamy batter. (Approximately 3 minutes using a stand mixer on low speed).
  4. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
  5. Bake the cake for 45 minutes.

Frosting Directions

  1. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar starts to melt. Add the milk and boiled cider and bring the mixture to a boil.
  3. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl (large enough to accommodate the confectioners' sugar). Let the mixture cool in the bowl for 10 minutes.
  4. Pour the confectioners' sugar into the warm mixture, then add the vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is thoroughly combined. Work fast because the frosting will stiffen up quickly as it cools.
  5. Pour the warm frosting onto the cake, spreading it over the entire surface.
  6. Serve warm, or at room temperature.