Apple Pudding Cake (with Cream Cheese Frosting)

This cinnamony Apple Pudding Cake is reminiscent of a lava cake – firm on the edges and gooey in the center, and topped with cream cheese frosting! Plus, it’s made with whole wheat flour. 🙂

Hooray! I survived yesterday’s Christmas shopping. Well, almost. I still have a few more things to get. (Amazon Prime, you are a life saver.) The only incident noteworthy is that I almost got hit by a car while crossing an intersection. I’m not used to walking around in a downtown area, ok? I stupidly crossed the intersection too soon and almost died in the process. (Note to self: Don’t ever walk unless the sign says it’s ok, and even then watch for cars because the drivers do not pay attention.)

Jump to Recipe!

Anyway, I’m alive and well and ready to share another fall/wintry recipe. This Apple Pudding Cake is based on a German Apple Cake recipe from my mom, and there’s a funny story behind it. Namely, the recipe in this post was an accident. (I’m just being honest.)

Since I can’t seem to bake anything without changing the recipe, I made some adjustments to the original German Apple Cake. Then I happily mixed up the cake, put it in the oven to bake, and walked away. Well, when I pulled it out of the oven a short time later, the result was reminiscent of one of those chocolate lava cakes, except as an apple version. I thought, “Hmmm… I’m not sure about this.” But, remembering that some of our favorite dishes are ones I was initially hesitant about, I went ahead and took some photos and served up the cake after dinner.

Casey LOVED it. He raved about how amazing it was and how he liked the gooey, warm center of the cake full of apples and topped with cream cheese frosting.

Me: “Really??”

Casey: “Yes, you need to post this one on your blog. Seriously.”

Me: “Wow. Well, ok!”

So I’m hoping that everyone else enjoys it as much as we did (or maybe we’re just weird).

Look at that frosting… I could eat it with a spoon.

The cake itself is a little on the healthier side. It’s made with whole wheat flour and whole cane sugar, and I used olive oil instead of butter. I really like the Sucanat in this cake because it adds a slight molasses flavor, which compliments the apples and cinnamon. 🙂

As far as the frosting is concerned, you don’t mess with cream cheese frosting. It has to be the real deal. No healthy stuff allowed.

Note: If you don’t have Sucanat, I would try substituting a cup of regular sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar.

Apple Pudding Cake (with Cream Cheese Frosting)

Servings: about 9
Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
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Ingredients

Cake:

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups Sucanat
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped apples (peeled or unpeeled, your preference)

Frosting:

6 oz cream cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking dish and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs, Sucanat, applesauce, olive oil, and vanilla until blended. In a separate, smaller bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and beat until well combined. Fold in apples.

Pour into prepared dish and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden. Edges will be firm and center soft. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until blended. Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and beat until a soft frosting forms. Spread over warm (but not hot) cake. Serve warm.

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~K in the Kitchen