Raw Apple Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 4 cups apples
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted walnuts (see note)
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 -2 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup finely chopped tioasted walnuts

Recipe

• 1 note: for enough nuts for the cake and to sprinkle on the cream cheese frosting, measure a generous 2 cups of nuts into a large baking pan.
• 2 toast at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, checking every couple of minutes after 5 and shaking the nuts around.
• 3 when walnuts are cool, chop a scant 1/2 cup finely for the frosting and coarsely chop the remaining nuts for the cake.
• 4 if oven is not preheated from toasting nuts, preheat oven to 350.
• 5 grease and flour a 9 by 13 inch cake pan.
• 6 combine apples and sugar in one bowl.
• 7 let sit for 20 minutes so apples get juicy.
• 8 this is not a crucial step, but it does add to the cake's wonderful chewy texture.
• 9 combine eggs and oil and mix well.
• 10 combine rest of ingredients by hand, then add the egg and oil mixture and mix well.
• 11 add the apple mixture.
• 12 the mixture will be very thick.
• 13 pour and press into the prepared pan.
• 14 bake for 45 minutes.
• 15 remove from oven when only moist crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted in center.
• 16 this is a moist cake--don't overbake.
• 17 allow to cool on rack.
• 18 when cake is cool, frost with cream cheese frosting, and sprinkle with the finely chopped nuts.
• 19 to prepare frosting: allow cream cheese and butter to soften a room temperature.
• 20 beat with a mixer until well blended.
• 21 slowly beat in powdered sugar until smooth.
• 22 add vanilla and mix well.
• 23 adjust to spreadable consistency with milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• 24 the cake stands well on its own; however a sifting of powdered sugar looks nice if you don't care for naked cake.
• 25 unfrosted cake is good with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• 26 if not frosted with cream cheese frosting, which requires refrigeration, cake keeps well at room temperature for a weekend.