Recipe: Spiced Apple Sauce Cake

Ingredients - 



250g/2 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

113g butter, softened

218g/1 cup brown sugar

1tsp vanilla essence

2 large eggs

375g/1 1/2 cups applesauce

50g/1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped, few extra for decoration



For frosting - optional

142g cream cheese (here in Turkey I use Kreme Peyniri which is a light cream cheese with a yogurty texture)

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

5 x 5g sachets of ?eker pudra (icing sugar)

1 tsp cinnamon



Method -



Heat the oven to 180c and line the bottom of a 8 or 9 inch/20 or 22 cm square tin with greaseproof paper.



In a bowl. mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.



In your food processor or another bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy.



Add the eggs, one at a time and beat into the mixture, the the applesauce.



On a slow speed beat in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the walnuts, if using.  Don't worry if it curdles or looks lumpy.



Spoon into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake is nicely risen and golden and a skewer comes out clean, when inserted into the centre of the cake.



Allow to cool slightly and then turn out of the tin, onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.



For the frosting -



Beat together the cream cheese, and vanilla until fluffy, this can be done by hand or in your food processor.



The sieve over the sugar and cinnamon and lightly beat in.



Spread over the surface of the cake.



You can also sprinkle a few more pieces of chopped walnuts over the frosting.



Thank you to smitten kitchen  - http://smittenkitchen.com for this recipe.