There’s this mason jar of homemade apple butter sitting in my fridge. The folks in Tennessee seriously know how to make some apple butter, and it got me thinking about apple fritters. Not just any apple fritters. Apple fritters from The Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. You dip them in their homemade apple butter. Yum! It was probably one of the most amazing restaurants I went to as a kid. They make their own apple chips too which were a childhood favorite.

I couldn’t get thoughts of apple picking at my great grandmother’s house and the taste of these little fried pieces of heaven out of my head. So I went out and bought some Granny Smith apples last week. When I got home, the whole frying thing went out the window and made an apple cake instead.

Do you like hot apple cider? I know. More apple talk. The aromas of warm apples and cinnamon fill the kitchen as the cake bakes. Who says you need a scented candle from Bath & Body Works to make your house smell good. Chopped walnuts play nice with the spices. Cream cheese frosting? Now we’re talking. The cake is good enough to stand on its own even without the frosting. More than likely, you’ll want to go the extra mile and indulge a little.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves spice up the flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is used to keep it healthy, but also keeps the cake light and airy.

Canola oil is used instead of vegetable oil which again keeps it on the healthier side. Most importantly it keeps the cake moist.

Add the flour in batches to the wet ingredients. Don’t forget the walnuts. That’s the best part.

The cake will rise as it bakes. Let the cake cool completely in the pan. The pan was coated with canola oil before adding the batter. The cake came right out of the pan. No mess. No crumbs.

Oooooo the best part. Frosting. Don’t tell anyone reduced fat cream cheese was used. They won’t know the difference.

Sprinkle a few extra walnuts on top to make the cake look pretty.

Big chunks of apple and walnuts. Who could resist.

Apple Walnut Spice Cake
adapted from Weeknights with Giada

serves 9

The recipe can be doubled for a 9×13 pan. For cupcakes, reduce the baking time to 20 to 25 minutes.

Ingredients
Cake:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 small granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:
4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 baking pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Whisk together until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the apples, maple syrup, egg, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add small amounts of the flour mixture at a time to the apple mixture, stirring after each addition until combined. Stir in the walnuts. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely before frosting.

For the frosting: In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth, light and fluffy.

Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the frosting on the cake. Slice the cake and serve.