Chunky Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Have you noticed how many dessert recipes I've been posting lately? I bet you can't stand it! I bet you're all thinking, "what happened to the healthy Jessie we knew?". ;-)

Well, first of all, the Holidays are here and I'm infected with the spirit of baking goodies. And more honestly, my cooking hasn't been as successful lately. I go through phases where my baked goods fall flat and my dinners are divine. And then sometimes I can bake a mean cake, but dinner doesn't wow. I'm stuck in the latter. It's not that I can't cook anymore, I'm just not consistently happy with the results. I've still got a few healthy and substantial meals to share with you, but I'm really on a roll with the treats! Just in time to indulge for the Holidays!

This recipe was another attempt to utilize the pounds of apples filling up my fridge. It comes from Southern Living and is a delicious apple cake. I was impressed by how many apples went into the batter (which is extremely thick- more of a "dough"). You almost have to knead them into the batter/dough and then push it into the pan. You'll be thinking, how is this going to bake into a cake? But the oven heat performs yet another miracle as the batter puffs up and engulfs all the apples.

And then you spread a thick layer of cream cheese frosting over top. You cut a slice (careful, not too big), and you take a bite of this decadent, moist, apple-dense, cinnamon-spiced cake.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (I bet whole wheat would work well)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
pinch salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until well incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt to the butter mixture and stir until blended (batter will be very thick). Fold in the apples and 1/2 cup walnuts (optional). Spread into prepared 9x13 pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

4. To make the frosting, combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer, beat on medium until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat on high until light and creamy. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. Once the cake has cooled, spread the frosting in an even layer over the top. Sprinkle with remaining toasted walnuts (optional) and serve.

Makes a 9x13 cake.

(Adapted from Southern Living)