Fresh Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Heather Price

I've been making this delicious cake for 25 years. There's something so therapeutic about mixing it with your hands. I often take it to work to share and it's always well received. People think they are cutting into a carrot cake but are always delighted and surprised to discover it's apple!

4 raw apples, medium size (pippin or green work well)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup oil (use a little more)

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. baking soda (use a little less)

2 tsp. cinnamon (rounded)

1/4 tsp. salt

Peel, core and dice apples (not too small.) Put apples and all other ingredients into large mixing bowl. Wet hands with cold water and turn and squeeze mixture until it becomes very sticky and gooey. This mixture is too thick for a mixer to turn and with a spoon you cannot mix it thoroughly enough. When very gooey, spread it into a well greased 9 x 13 pan and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Remove cake from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Cream cheese frosting:

2 (3 oz.) packages cream cheese

4 Tbsp. butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

Beat very well together with mixer until light and fluffy. Frost cake.