Apples Were All I Had

     We did a good job of eating down and cleaning out the perishables in our refrigerator before we left on our vacation.  All that remained in the way of fruit were several small organic apples; enough to make this little apple-walnut cake when I returned home.

   


     With TARTINE BAKERY in San Francisco still on my mind, I wanted to create a dessert with that refined-rustic simplicity Tartine does so well (o.k., I may need to work on that).
     We enjoyed the apple-walnut cake for our dessert last night...

---

                     and as a sweet treat alongside a cappuccino this morning.

                 Apple-Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon whole milk or half-and-half
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 cups peeled and diced apples, preferably organic
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• additional chopped walnuts, toasted, for sprinkling on top

PREHEAT OVEN to 350˚F
1.  Place a round of waxed or parchment paper in the bottom of an 8-inch-by-2-inch round cake pan.  Butter the sides of the pan.
2.  In a large bowl, beat the egg; gradually add the sugar, oil, vanilla, and milk and mix until smooth.  Add the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg to the egg mixture, beating until just combined.  Add the diced apples and walnuts, stirring until distributed evenly throughout the batter.
3.  Pour the batter into the baking pan, smooth the top, and place on the center rack of the preheated oven.  Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
4.  Cool for 15 minutes; then run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake and unmold onto a cooling rack.  When cooled, spread with the cream cheese frosting.  Sprinkle with additional chopped, toasted walnuts.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
•  Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth.

TAKE a LOOK: