Spiced Apple Cake with Chocolate and Cream Cheese Icing

Now, this one comes courtesy of my Mother.  She tells me it is decadent and divine.  "I made if for the first time for our ladies morning tea in July and it was scrumptious...it has grated apples in it which gives it a nice moist texture.  It is very light when it comes out of the oven, so handle gently when going to join the cakes together.  I found there was plenty of icing to go over the whole cake.  The cream cheese in it makes it delicious and rich."

"Another suggestion I would make would be to put it into one deeper round time and even leave it uniced if you like, and just serve it as a dessert with cream or ice cream".

The recipe is attributed to Eddie from Better Homes and Gardens, Australia.

Ingredients

Cooking oil spray, for greasing

2 cups plain flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
250g unsalted butter, chopped, softened
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 (600g) green apples,peeled, cored, coarsely grated

Icing sugar mixture, for dusting

Chocolate cream-cheese icing
250g cream cheese, chopped, softened
100g butter, chopped,softened
1 tsp milk
100g dark chocolate, melted,
at room temperature
2 cups icing sugar mixture
2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C or 356F.

2. Grease two 20cm round cake tins with cooking oil spray and line base and side of each with baking paper.

3. Sift flour, cocoa, bicarb, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger into a large bowl.

4. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high, using paddle attachment, for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in apple. Add flour mixture, in 2 batches, stirring until combined. Divide batter evenly between prepared tins. Smooth surface.

5. Bake for 35 minutes or until cakes are cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6. To make icing, put cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low, using paddle attachment, for 2 minutes or until soft and fluffy. Add milk and chocolate. Sift in sugar and cocoa and beat on low until combined. Increase speed to high and beat for a further 2 minutes or until fluffy.

7. Invert 1 cake onto a serving plate or cake stand. Spoon 1 cup of the icing onto centre of cake and spread to edges using a palette knife. Sandwich with remaining cake, right side up. Spoon remaining icing on cake and spread to coat top. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Enjoy with friends!!!