Apple Olive Oil Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Icing Food

APPLE BACON CREPES WITH MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the frosting: Beat together the butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and maple syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer) until smooth and creamy.
• For the apple-bacon filling: Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until the fat renders out and the bacon becomes crispy. Scoop out the bacon and place on a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the apples to the bacon fat and cook over medium heat until the apples are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the maple syrup and cinnamon and cook until sticky and caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• For the crepe batter: Whisk together the cake mix, milk, egg and egg white in a large bowl until smooth. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet and spray liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle about 3 ounces of batter into the pan and cook over medium heat until the bottom starts to brown and the top of the crepe begins to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes. Work around the edge of the crepe with a rubber spatula to begin to release it from the pan. Gently flip the crepe over, spraying more nonstick spray as needed. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 30 seconds to 1 minute longer. Remove the crepe and place on a serving dish. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• To assemble: Spread the filling generously over half of each crepe and top with a few tablespoons of bacon. Fold the tops of the crepe over and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Sprinkle additional bacon on top if desired.

APPLE & OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH MAPLE CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 F (170 C). Grease an 8-inch (20cm) springform pan, then line the bottom and sides of it with baking parchment. If using, put the sultana raisins and the water in a saucepan and simmer on low heat until the water has been absorbed completely. Set aside to cool.
• Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl.
• Put the oil and sugar in a bowl. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the bowl (or add extract). Whisk the oil, sugar and vanilla together (you could do this with an electric mixer with a paddle attachment). Gradually add the eggs to the mixture and mix until smooth and thick. Mix in the diced apples, sultanas and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients, folding in gently (you can do this all at once).
• In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until they have a soft meringue consistency. Gently fold them into the batter, in 2 additions.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the surface. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. When completely cooled, remove the cake from the tin and cut in half horizontally using a large serrated knife to form 2 discs.
• To make the icing, beat together the butter and maple syrup and sugar until light and airy. Next add in the cream cheese and beat until it's totally smooth (preferably with the whisk attachment). Use half of the icing to the sandwich the cakes together, and smooth the remaining frosting up on top.

SPICED APPLE-WALNUT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• For the cake: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally butter and flour a 10-inch fluted tube or Bundt pan. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the apples, maple syrup, eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. In batches, mix the dry ingredients into the apple mixture. Stir in the walnuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester or skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• For the icing: In a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, cream cheese, 3 tablespoons water, and vanilla. Process until smooth, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the icing is pourable. Spoon the icing over the cake and allow to set for 20 minutes before slicing.

CARROT CAKE WITH MAPLE-CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and ginger. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.
• For icing:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until well blended. Beat in maple syrup. Chill until just firm enough to spread, 30 minutes.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 3/4 cup icing. Top with second layer. Spread remaining icing over entire cake. Arrange walnut halves around top edge. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.)

APPLE AND OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH MAPLE ICING

Steps:

• 1. Grease an 8-inch / 20-cm springform cake pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Place the raisins and water in a medium saucepan and simmer over low heat until all of the water has been absorbed. Leave to cool.
• 2. Preheat the oven to 325°F / 170°C. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and set aside.
• 3. Put the oil and superfine sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a whisk if you don't have a mixer). Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise in half and, using a sharp knife, scrape the seeds out into the bowl. Beat the oil, sugar, and vanilla together, then gradually add the eggs. The mix should be smooth and thick at this stage. Mix in the diced apples, raisins, and lemon zest, then lightly fold in the sifted dry ingredients.
• 4. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl, either by hand or with a mixer, until they have a soft meringue consistency. Fold them into the batter in 2 additions, trying to maintain as much air as possible.
• 5. Pour the batter into the lined pan, level it with an icing spatula, and place in the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the plan.
• 6. Once the cake is completely cold, you can assemble it. Remove from the pan and use a large serrated knife to cut it in half horizontally. You should end up with 2 similar disks. If the cake is very domed, you might need to shave a bit off the top half to level it.
• 7. To make the icing, beat together the butter, muscovado sugar, and maple syrup until light and airy. You can do this by hand, or preferably, in a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the cream cheese and beat until the icing is totally smooth.
• 8. Using the icing spatula, spread a layer of icing 3/8 inch / 1 cm thick over the bottom half of the cake. Carefully place the top half on it. Spoon the rest of the icing on top and use the icing spatula to create a wavelike or any other pattern. Dust it with confectioners' sugar, if you like.