Apple cake is perfect for fall but it is also an excellent choice to celebrate Christmas.
I really love how versatile this cake can be. You can perfectly serve it plain and dust some confectioners’ sugar on top. If you do that then you need to serve it a little warm with vanilla ice cream on the side and a drizzle of salty caramel syrup.
However, if you really want to take this cake to another level, you should serve it with this apple cider icing, which only takes a couple of minutes to make.
I used shredded apples for this recipe, but how specifically you utilize the apples is totally up to you. You could just dice them or chop them as small as you like. I prefer to shred them as I love the texture it gives this cake, besides it reminds me of coconut cake!
You can also replace the almonds with macadamia, pecans, or walnuts. I love apples with almond butter as a snack so I thought, why not?
I did use a hint of almond extract just to enhance the flavor of the nuts, you could perfectly omit it if you don’t want to use it or if you decide not to use the almonds or replace them.
My mom is visiting from Spain for Christmas, her apple pie is epic. I will try to make one with her so that we can post the recipe for you guys.
I am still working on the menu for Christmas. I want to make stuffing and probably some chicken and cheese polenta with mushrooms, but I am still thinking about it…
Here’s the recipe:
Apple Cake with Apple Cider Icing
Yield: About 10 servings
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of granulated Truvia – the baking blend or sugar
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 eggs
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ground ginger
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/4 tsp of almond extract (optional)
1/4 tsp of salt
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and shredded
The juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
(I used 1 Golden and 1 Ambrosia)
1/2 cup of almonds, sliced and toasted and extra for the icing
For the icing:
1 cup of confectioners’ Swerve Or confectioners’ sugar
4 oz of cream cheese at room temperature
4 tsp or apple cider or apple juice
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
2 tbs of toasted almonds, chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven at 350° Fahrenheit. Spray a 10 inch diameter bunt cake pan with non-stick bake spray (I used this one).
If you are peeling and shredding the apples first, you will need the juice of 1/2 lemon to prevent the apples from getting brown.
Beat butter and granulated Swerve (or sugar) in a large bowl, until it becomes a creamy mixture. Add the eggs and beat them – one at a time. Add flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, vanilla extract and almond extract.
Fold in the shredded apples and mix into the batter. Place the mixture into the baking pan.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until when you insert a wooden stick it comes out clean.
Take the cake out of the oven let it sit for a couple of minutes. Remove from the pan and place on an oven rack until it cools down.
For the icing:
Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Add the confectioners Swerve or sugar by parts and beat slowly. Add vanilla extract and apple cider (or juice) until you obtain the desired consistency. You can taste it as you mix and adjust the amount of juice or even add a tsp of water if you want it lighter.
Pour icing around the top of the bunt and sprinkle the chopped, toasted almonds.
What a beautiful cake! I love apple cakes and this one particularly looks stunning and so festive. Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Hi Natalie! Thank you so much for stopping by. Let me know how it turns out if you try it! ???
This cake takes my words away!!
Hi Neta! Thanks so much! And thanks for stopping by! ???
If I’m using an 8 inch bundt cake pan, does it just need to be baked longer in the oven?
Hi Alex, baking time always vary depending on the oven itself.
If you’re using a smaller pan, please try not to overflow it as the cake will rise during baking. If it has enough space to rise, I would bake it for basically the same 40-45 minutes and then just check on it. You will probably have to increase the baking time by 5 minutes and check on it every couple of minutes or until inserting a wooden stick it comes out clean and dry. Please also check on the temperature and maybe decrease it about 5 degrees if the cake starts to get too brown or toasty. Happy cooking!
You are making me want to buy a bundt pan SOO badly!! This looks so tasty!
Tell me about it! They are so pretty! Thanks so much Cathleen! It really is delicious!