Spiced Apple Loaf

Nothing says cozy quite like a warm slice of cinnamony cake studded with bits of apple and cloaked in sweet cream cheese frosting. Add this loaf to your holiday baking spread, or bake it during the height of autumn to highlight in-season apples from your local orchard.

To make the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8” × 4” loaf pan, and line the bottom with parchment.
2. In a small pan over medium heat, combine the diced apples, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of butter, stirring often until the apples start to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool while preparing the batter. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
3. Combine the remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) butter with the flour mixture until it resembles wet sand, and all big chunks of butter are gone. Add eggs and vanilla and blend until batter is smooth and well combined. Add the apples and any liquid in the pan to the batter, mixing until apples are evenly distributed.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 46-52 minutes until golden brown on top, with the center set and springing back when gently pressed. Cool cake before frosting.

To make the frosting

1. Mix together the confectioners' sugar and cream cheese by hand, just until combined (do not beat or whip the cream cheese or it will thin out to a glaze instead of staying spreadable as a frosting).
2. Spread the frosting over cooled cake and slice to serve.

   Farm Team Tips

   If you don't have any brown sugar in the house, white sugar can be used in its place for the apple mixture.