Spiced apple cake with mascarpone and maple frosting

Name: Spiced apple cake with mascarpone and maple frosting
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8-12
Cuisine: British,Modern Australian
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

Julia Busuttil Nishimura

April 12, 2024

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

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:8-12

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.

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

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin. Set aside.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
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.
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.
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.
Step 6
For the frosting, whisk together the mascarpone, maple syrup and vanilla in a bowl until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
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.