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Spiced apple cake with mascarpone and maple frosting

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This apple cake will be on high rotation during autumn.
This apple cake will be on high rotation during autumn. William Meppem

As we edge a little closer to the colder months, I begin to revel in the spoils of autumn. Apples are abundant now and are the perfect muse for this warming, spiced cake. Topped with a gloriously creamy mascarpone frosting that’s sweetened ever so slightly with maple syrup, this cake is one you’ll return to again and again. The cake, unfrosted, keeps quite well for a few days, but will need to be refrigerated once topped.

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Ingredients

  • 150g self-raising flour

  • 50g natural almond meal (see note)

  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

  • pinch of salt

  • 150g unsalted butter, softened

  • 150g caster sugar

  • 3 eggs

  • zest of 1 lemon

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 3 Granny Smith apples (about 450g), peeled, cored, quartered and thinly sliced

FOR THE MASCARPONE FROSTING

  • 250g mascarpone

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup, plus extra to drizzle

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and pale (about 4–5 minutes). Alternatively, use hand-held electric beaters. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the lemon zest and vanilla and mix briefly. The mixture may look a little split, but will come together.

  4. Step 4

    Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, if using. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula and mix until just combined. Fold through the apples, then spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested.

  5. Step 5

    Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cake rack to complete cooling. Place it the right way up on a serving plate and set aside.

  6. Step 6

    For the frosting, whisk together the mascarpone, maple syrup and vanilla in a bowl until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

  7. Step 7

    Spoon the frosting onto the cake and spread using a palette knife to create a swirled effect. Drizzle over a little extra maple syrup and serve.

Note: Natural almond meal is made from whole rather than blanched almonds. I like the texture and speckle it adds to the cake batter but, if unavailable, it’s fine to substitute with regular almond meal.

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Julia Busuttil NishimuraJulia Busuttil Nishimura is a Melbourne-based cookbook author, Good Weekend columnist and host of Good Food Kitchen.

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Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/goodfood/recipes/spiced-apple-cake-with-mascarpone-and-maple-frosting-20240408-p5fi66.html