Apple and Olive Oil Cake with Maple Icing

From the kitchen of Carly

Tender apple cake bound with fruity olive oil and studded with plump raisins, then finished with a silky maple icing. Cinnamon and vanilla whisper through each crumb. The kind of cake that tastes simple but feels special.

Apple and Olive Oil Cake with Maple Icing

Granny Smith apples stay bright and textured against the tender crumb of an olive oil cake, while plump raisins add chew and depth. The real move here is the maple cream cheese icing, which cuts through the spice with sharp sweetness and lets the apples do their job. Bake once, layer twice, frost generously.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1heaping 1/2 cup / 80 g raisins
  • 4 tbspwater
  • 2 1/4 cup/ 280 g all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tspground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tspsalt
  • 1/2 tspbaking powder
  • 1 1/4 tspbaking soda
  • 1/2 cup/ 120 ml olive oil
  • 3/4 cup/ 160 g superfine sugar
  • 1/2vanilla bean
  • 2free-range eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 largeGranny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/8-inch / 1-cm dice
  • 1grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 2free-range egg whites
  • 1"confectioners sugar for dusting ", 7 tbsp / 100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1scant 1/2 cup / 100 g light muscovado sugar
  • 1scant 6 tbsp / 85 ml maple syrup
  • 8 oz/ 220 g cream cheese
  • 1at room temperature

Instructions

  1. Grease an 8-inch / 20-cm springform cake pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Combine the raisins and water in a medium saucepan and simmer over low heat until every drop of water has been absorbed, then set aside to cool.

  2. Preheat the oven to 325°F / 170°C. Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together into a bowl and set aside.

  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the oil and superfine sugar. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds directly into the bowl, then beat the oil, sugar, and vanilla together. Gradually pour in the eggs, mixing until the batter is smooth and thick. Stir in the diced apples, raisins, and lemon zest, then lightly fold in the sifted dry ingredients until just combined.

  4. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites by hand or with a mixer until they hold a soft meringue consistency. Fold them into the batter in 2 separate additions, working gently to keep as much air in the mix as possible.

  5. Scrape the batter into the lined pan and level the surface with an offset spatula. Slide it into the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

  6. Once the cake is fully cold, lift it out of the pan and use a large serrated knife to cut it horizontally into 2 even disks. If the top has domed significantly, shave a little off to level it before assembling.

  7. For the icing, beat the butter, muscovado sugar, and maple syrup together in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or by hand, until the mixture is light and airy. Add the cream cheese and continue beating until the icing is completely smooth with no lumps.

  8. Spread a layer of icing about 3/8 inch / 1 cm thick over the cut side of the bottom cake layer. Gently set the top layer in place, then spoon the remaining icing over the top and sweep it into waves or any pattern you like with the spatula. Finish with a dusting of confectioners' sugar if desired.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Blooming the raisins in water beforehand softens them so they don't steal moisture from the cake. Don't skip this step.
  • Whisk those egg whites to soft peaks, not stiff. Overbeaten whites make the cake dense instead of tender. Fold in two additions to keep the air.
  • Cold cake slices cleaner and more evenly. Chill for at least 2 hours before splitting horizontally, or freeze for 30 minutes if you're impatient.

Variations

  • Swap brown butter for half the olive oil for a nuttier, deeper flavor.
  • Skip the layers and frost the whole cake in a rustic, naked style. Just as good.
  • Add 1/4 tsp cardamom to the dry mix in place of some cinnamon for a more complex spice note.

Make ahead and storage

Wrap the assembled cake tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The maple icing firms in the cold, so slice with a warm, dry knife. Freezes well unfrosted for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature before icing.