I found this apple cake recipe a few weeks ago, but didn’t get around to making the cake until this weekend.  I decided to make a cream cheese frosting (found in my America’s Test Kitchen cookbook) instead of the streusel topping, and let me just say it was AWESOME!!!

Also, note that I don’t know why you’d beat the eggs for 15 minutes, but I did it, because several reviews said you needed to… One of the few times I wish I had a stand mixer.

Apple Cake

5 apples – peeled, cored and chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar  (can substitute 1/2 cup with brown sugar)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) lightly grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan.
2. Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar for 15 minutes on high speed with an electric mixer. Add oil and blend in.
4. Add four mixture and mix well. Add vanilla. Fold in apples and nuts. Pour batter into 9×13 inch pan.*
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

*Struesel Topping: Instead of frosting, mix 4 tsp white sugar with 1 tsp ground cinnamon, sprinkle over cake prior to baking.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese softened, but still cool
5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, but still cool
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (4 1/2 ounces)

1. When cake is cool, process cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in clean food processor workbowl (or with electric hand mixer) until combined, about
   5 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed.
2. Add confectioners’ sugar and process until smooth, about 10 seconds (longer if using a hand mixer)