Apple, Date and Walnut Cake

You know those moments when you are desperate to get something together for school lunches at the last minute? You flick through your recipe books hoping that you can match your pantry contents against some basic recipe to whip-up while you deal with making dinner and other Mum related things...

Well, I was in one of those situations late last week - nothing exciting for the kids' lunches at school and no time to go to the shops. Something had to be made quickly to fill those containers or there would be major complaints from my kiddos the next day.

Necessity is the mother of all invention isn't it? Looking back on this creation, I am so glad I was placed in that position, because this original recipe was born and it is delicious.

I wasn't expecting my kids to love this at all (owing to its healthy ingredients), but they attacked it like the plague of locusts they are when it comes to food and then asked for more!

I think this Apple, Date and Walnut Cake would make a fantastic loaf too, to be eaten in much the same way as banana bread - sliced with a simple smattering of your preferred spread.

Apple, Date and Walnut Cake

2 apples
125gm margarine or butter
230gm caster sugar
1 egg
1 cup of SR flour
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
80gm dates
100gm walnuts (or pecans)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Peel and core apples and whizz through a food processor along with the walnuts and dates until all are chopped finely.

To a large mixing bowl combine sugar and margarine and mix in the egg before adding the processed apple mixture and remaining ingredients.

Bake for 55 minutes.

When cooled, coat in cream cheese frosting with a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 and a 1/2 cups of fine sugar (soft icing sugar)
125gms softened cream cheese
55gms softened butter or margarine
1 tablespoon of milk

Beat all ingredients together in a mixer or food processor until a creamy icing is formed. This makes approximately two cups of frosting so you will have enough left for any further treats such as these Red Velvet Cakes. Refrigerate and keep any leftover frosting for a few days.

This cake is moist and fruity and the trick to wooing the kids, is to blend up the nuts and dates finely so that they can't detect the natural goodies. I guarantee this is a cake you will add to your recipe file.

 

Have you ever invented a recipe that you now make regularly?

 

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