By Labor Day in two weeks and September coming and the pandemic summer ending in the way things end that aren't what you expected and were still somehow yours. I've been thinking about what I want to remember from this summer: the sourdough starter, the fire escape tomatoes, Nora's laugh, Liam and Marco and the truck. The first dinner out with Sean at the sidewalk table. The backyard conversations with Teresa. The way the family gathered in masks in the backyard and it was still the family.
Nora is six months. Tomorrow. She's sitting steadily and beginning to try to pull to standing against my hands, which means by October she'll be cruising and by the new year she'll be walking and the physics of the household will change again. I'm ready. I have this on good authority from the first time.
Starting Nora on solid foods this weekend. I made a small batch of sweet potato puree on Saturday—just sweet potato, roasted, no additions—and fed her a quarter-teaspoon on a spoon. She looked at it. She opened her mouth. She tasted it. Her face went through surprise, assessment, and then approval. She opened her mouth for more. "She likes it," Liam said. He was watching from his chair. "Like I did." He remembered that I told him he liked sweet potato. He has been filing these things since the beginning.
Apple cake on Sunday because September is coming and September means apples and I am exactly who I am.
Apple cake on Sunday felt like the only right thing — September coming, the summer folding up behind us, Nora’s sweet potato face still fresh in my mind, and something in me that needed to mark it all with warm spice and a proper frosting. This Apple Cinnamon Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is the one I come back to every year when the light changes; it’s not a complicated cake, but it tastes like intention, and that’s exactly what this particular Sunday asked for.
Apple Cinnamon Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups peeled, cored, and finely chopped apples (about 3 medium apples)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice until evenly combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine and fold. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined — do not overmix. Fold in the chopped apples and nuts, if using. The batter will be thick.
- Bake. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is set and lightly golden. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
- Make the frosting. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt, and beat on low until incorporated, then increase to medium-high and beat until light and creamy, about 1–2 minutes more.
- Frost and serve. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 480 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 64g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 280mg