Original blog post: https://spatulagoddess.com/2011/03/11/apple-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

Recipe source: Betty Crocker

Time required: 2 hours

Yields: 32 squares

Tools required:

• baking pan: 9″ x 13″
• apple peeler & apple corer
• spatula (do not use a flexible one)
• electric beaters

Cake ingredients:

• 3 tart apples (or 6 medium carrots)
• 1½ C granulated white sugar
• 1 C vegetable oil
• 3 eggs, room temp
• 2 C flour
• 1½ TSP ground cinnamon
• 1 TSP baking soda
• 1 TSP vanilla
• ½ TSP salt
• ¼ TSP ground nutmeg

Frosting ingredients:

• one package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temp
• ¼ C butter (half a stick or 4 TBSP), room temp
• 1 TBSP milk
• 1 TSP vanilla
• 4 C icing sugar

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 176°C / 350°F, centre rack.
2. Grease and flour baking pan.
3. Peel apples, core apples, and dice into small pieces. Set aside.
4. In medium bowl combine: flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
5. In large bowl, beat on Low for 30 seconds: sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs.
6. Beat dry ingredients into wet, adding a third at a time until blended.
7. Once all dry mixture is added, beat on Low for 1 min, frequently scraping the sides.
8. Using a hard spatula, stir apple pieces into batter.
9. Pour batter in greased pan, use spatula to smooth batter down. Shake pan and let it settle for a few minutes, then place in oven.
10. Bake 40-45 min, it’s done when toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
11. Cool cake in pan, on rack, at least 1 hour.
12. Remove cake from pan and make your frosting.

FROSTING:

1. In medium bowl on High, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add butter, milk, vanilla, and beat on Low until smooth.
3. Still on Low, beat in icing sugar, one cup at a time, until mixture is smooth and spreadable.
4. Store frosted cake in fridge, covered.
5. Let frosting set before cutting cake.