Easy Apple, Fig and Walnut Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

A slice of cake in the foreground with the rest of the cake behind it on a cake stand.

Easy Apple, Fig and Walnut Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

A full of flavour cake that is beautifully balanced with sweet spices and studded with soft diced apple, semi-dried figs and walnuts. It is topped with a cream cheese frosting that is lightly sweetened with maple syrup and brown sugar. A wonderful cake that can be served on its own with a simple dusting of icing sugar, or decorated with frosting for a gorgeous celebration cake. I love cakes that involve an easy melt and mix recipe that delivers on flavour and looks!

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 10

Course: Dessert, Snack, Sweet

Cuisine: American, Australian

Keyword: all in one apple cake, apple cake, apple spice cake, apples, figs, moist apple cake, old fashioned fresh apple cake

Servings:

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Katrina | Katy's Food Finds

Equipment

2 large mixing bowls and 1 small bowl
24cm (9.5in) round springform cake tin
mini food processor or hand-held mixer to make the frosting (optional)

Ingredients

Cake:

3 medium apples peeled, cored and diced into 3/4cm cubes (approximately 300-350gm diced apples)
225 g butter melted
220 g white sugar (1 cup)
50 g light brown sugar (1/4 cup loosely packed)
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c semi-dried figs chopped into small pieces (sultana sized)
2 tbsp calvados brandy or brandy (see notes)
300 g plain flour (2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
60 g chopped walnuts (1/2 cup)

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

250 g full fat cream cheese room temperature soft
90 g butter room temperature soft
70 g brown sugar
4 tbsp pure maple syrup

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F). Grease a 24cm (9.5in) round springform cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and white and brown sugars. Add the diced apples and vanilla extract and mix everything together well. Lastly add the beaten eggs and mix through. Set aside.
In a small bowl add the chopped figs and brandy. Stir and set aside.
In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and salt. Mix together.
Add the butter and apple wet mix to the dry ingredients and gently fold through with a large spoon until almost combined. Now add the dried figs and liquid along with the walnuts and continue to fold through gently until there are no pockets of flour left in the batter.
Pour or spoon the cake batter into the prepared baking tin and spread the mixture out to the edges. Smooth out the top. Place the tin into the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the cake is browning too quickly during the baking time, loosely cover the top of the tin with a sheet of aluminium foil. The cake should be nice and golden and not too brown.
When ready, remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the tin and turn the cake out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Place cooled cake on a serving platter and decorate by dusting with icing sugar or with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.

To make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Before you start it is really important to have both the cream cheese and butter at room temperature and soft. Otherwise you will not get a smooth frosting. Once I have made this cream cheese frosting, I like to refrigerate it to firm it up a little, so will often make this the day before or an hour earlier.
Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a mini food processor and process until combined and smooth (scrape down the sides once or twice during this time). This is the easiest way to make it. Alternatively:
Add the soft cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl and using a hand-held whisk, beat them together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on low speed until smooth and combined. Then increase to high speed for 30-60 seconds.
Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake using a palette knife or flat knife.

To Serve:

This cake can be made a day ahead, frosted and then refrigerated. When ready to serve, remove it from the fridge to allow it to come to room temperature first.
It can be served with or without the frosting.

Notes

Nutritional Values are based on 14 serves of cake with maple frosting.

Note re alcohol: I have used Calvados Brandy in this cake. You can use normal brandy, rum or even whisky if you prefer but obviously the flavour will be a little different. If you prefer to not have alcohol in the cake then just add apple juice or water.

Tips and tricks for success:

While this is a very simple cake to make, there are a few little tips to help you perfect this recipe:

When you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, do this by 'folding' them together gently versus stirring. Being heavy handed and mixing them vigorously will result in a tougher cake.

When baking the cake in the oven, always check your cake 5-10 minutes before the 50 minute mark as all ovens can vary and you may find your oven runs hotter, so if the cake feels firm to the touch in the centre or a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, that is when it is ready.

You may also find that this cake will turn golden before it is ready. If this happens, cover the cake loosely by placing a sheet of aluminium foil over the top. I have needed to do this every time with this recipe in my oven.

Nutrition

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