Apple cake with maple-walnut cream cheese frosting

Time consuming, but a fabulous dessert, worthy of your most elegant dinner parties.
Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 lb. Pippin Apples (about 2 medium) peeled, cored, diced
• ¼ cup water
• 2 ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup dried currants
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 Tbsp brandy
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 cup (packed) brown sugar
• 28 oz. Packages cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

Directions:

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Butter and flour three 9-inch diameter cake pans with 1 ½ inch-high sides.
3. Combine apples and water in small saucepan.
4. Cover; simmer over medium-low heat until apples are tender, about 20 minutes.
5. Place in food processor; puree until smooth and cool.
6. Sift 2 ½ cups flours and next 5 ingredients into medium bowl.
7. Toss currants with remaining 1 tablespoon flour in small bowl; mix in walnuts.
8. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, brandy and vanilla in large bowl until blended.
9. Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
10. Beat in half of flour mixture and apple puree, then remaining flour mixture.
11. Stir in currants and walnuts.
12. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes our clean, about 20 minutes.
13. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes; turn out onto racks and cool.

Frosting:

1. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended.
2. Beat in cream cheese, then maple syrup.
3. Chill until beginning to firm, about 20 minutes.

Assembly:

Serves 8-10.

Want to share your own recipe? Email it to becca.friedman@richmondconfidential.org with the subject “Richmond Cooks”. Don’t forget a title, ingredients, directions, serving size, and a little about how the recipe came to you. Bon Apetit!