Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

 This cake is the perfect applicious dessert for Fall!  I'm having it with a cup of chai tea.  Care to join me?  We can look at my Autumn book, by Susan Branch and enjoy a fine, Fall day. 

 I'm using my Johnson Brothers,  Harvest Time teacup.  Isn't it a wonderful, vintage pattern?  I love the soft colors and it goes so nicely with my apple cake.

Now for this cake, which is the perfect Autumn dessert. This is even better than the one I made last year, and I will definitely make this again.  It is perfectly spiced and the icing is sooooo incredible!  The recipe is from King Arthur Flour and they state that "the frosting is equivalent to brown sugar fudge". I would love this frosting on a chocolate or yellow cake, also.  Resist the urge to add more confectioners' sugar, because it spreads perfectly fine the way it is.   Please don't hesitate to make this cake.  Here's the recipe:  

Cake

• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and ground nutmeg (I also added about 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups peeled, cored, chopped apple, about 1 1/3 pounds whole apples
• 1 cup diced toasted walnuts or pecans

Frosting

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 9" x 13" pan.
• To make the cake: Mix all of the ingredients except the apples and nuts in a large bowl.
• Beat until well combined; the mixture will be very stiff, and may even be crumbly.
• Add the apples and nuts, and mix until the apples release some of their juice and the stiff mixture becomes a thick batter, somewhere between cookie dough and brownie batter in consistency.
• Spread the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing it with your wet fingers.
• Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few wet crumbs clinging to it.
• Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a rack to cool completely; don't remove the cake from the pan.
• To make the frosting: Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts.
• Add the milk, bring to a boil, and pour into a mixing bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat well; if the mixture appears too thin, add more confectioners' sugar. Spread on the cake while frosting is still warm.

The cake is even better and more moist the next day!

I am sharing this with these lovely parties:

Tea Time Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea 

Friends Sharing Tea

Tea Cup Tuesday 
Roses of Inspiration 
Cooking and Crafting with J & J 

Share Your Cup

Full Plate

Foodie Friday
Weekend Potluck

Thank you for your visit!  xo