Apple Spice Sheet Cake
I have somehow surfaced after the whirlwind which was Easter Weekend, deeply in need of a holiday from our holiday, despite having four days off. Somehow the terms “holiday” and “vacation” have taken on synonymous connotations when they are anything but. A vacation is where you relax, unplug, sleep in and basically unwind. A holiday is usually a family-filled never ending roller coaster of obligations that leave you exhausted. Throw in shopping in advance for Santa and the bunny and the usual obligatory church attendances and you realize that holidays are truly intended for children and not the adults who are required to make them happen. I digress!
This Easter I was in charge of all of the desserts, among other things. I found myself excited about the prospect of dessert for an Easter brunch my mother-in-law was hosting. I should say that I found the difficulty of choosing a dessert that was appropriate to eat in the morning and yet large enough to feed a crowd, to be a delightful (and tasty) challenge. I declare this cake to be the brunch dessert of choice!
While the ingredients may be more indicative of Fall, with apples, cinnamon, and warm spices, the resulting moist, almost light cake topped with cream cheese icing was a crowd-pleaser (and crowd-feeder) for any occasion. It was also not too sweet for so early in the morning. There is usually some extra icing left-over that can easily be coloured and piped. If you decorate it yourself I’m sure it would be very attractive. Or you can take my approach and let your children decorate it as an Easter activity that keeps them occupied for precious extra minutes so you can finish up a cup of coffee.
If you preferred, you can make this cake in 2, 9″ round cake pans, however you will need to double the amount of the icing, to ensure you have enough for the middle and sides. If you have a large crowd to feed, you can also double the recipe and use two sheet cake pans (9″ x 13″) and make a large layered cake. For this, make sure to triple the icing recipe indicated to make sure you have enough.
This cake can also be made in advance and frozen. Take it out of the freezer several hours in advance, ice it and serve.
Apple Spice Sheet Cake
Adapted Loosely from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 15-20 (see note)
Cake
3 medium applies, peeled, halved, and cored
3 3/4 cup (470 g) all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp (5 g) table salt
3/4 tsp (4 g) baking soda
1 Tbsp (15 g) baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup honey
2 1/4 cups applesauce
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed (142 g) dark brown sugar
3 eggs
Icing
1 8-ounce block cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted
Heat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the apple halves face down on the paper. Roast until they feel dry to the touch and look a little browned underneath, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool and reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
Butter or spray one 9 x 13 inch cake pan with baking spray and line the bottom with a fitted rectangle of parchment paper. Butter or spray the paper as well.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the applesauce and honey.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until very fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. Add one third of the flour-spice mixture and mix it until just combined. Add half the applesauce mixture, again mixing it until combined. Repeat with the second third of the flour-spice mixture, remaining applesauce, and the remaining flour/spice mixture, stirring between each addition.
Chop the roasted apples into 1/2 inch chunks and fold into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the cake pan halfway through. The cake will be done when a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let it rest for 10 minutes. Flip the cake out of the pan onto the rack, remove the parchment paper lining and allow it to cool, right-side-up.
Once the cake is completely cooled and ready to frost, whip the butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixture until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar gradually while mixing and beat until smooth and light.
Place the cake on a cake board or serving platter. Spread a thin layer of icing on top and place in the fridge to cool/set. Frost with the remaining icing and decorate as desired.