Apple Spice Cake with Ricotta Frosting

Left to my druthers, I would easily eat cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’d probably weigh a million pounds and be horribly malnutritioned, but boy oh boy would I ever be happy. So I settle for occasionally sneaking a slice of cake for breakfast when I’m feeling particularly indulgent.

This apple spice cake is the kind of cake I usually pick, because I can almost justify it as breakfast food. I mean, it’s made with fresh apples and unbleached flour and ricotta cheese, so how bad can it be?

Yeah. I know. It’s still cake, so it’s about as far from health food as you can get.

But if you’re hankering for a lovely treat for a special morning, this apple spice cake is about as perfect as it gets, with a gently spiced batter dotted with lots and lots of apple chunks nestled under a fluffy ricotta frosting.

I suppose the guilt factor could be reduced by making it in a muffin tin instead, but I believe in being honest with myself. Not to mention I like my guilty pleasures to be as guilty as possible.

Oh, and in case you’re curious, this apple spice cake is absolutely perfect with a big mug of strong black tea, which is yet another reason it makes such a lovely breakfast.

Quick Tip:

If you’re not a fan of Granny Smith or just want to shake things up a little, this cake is just as lovely with any apple that holds its shape when baked. Try it with Northern Spy, Crispin, or Honeycrisp apples.

You’ll Need

1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 large Granny Smith apple, diced (~1 cup)
½ cup extra-smooth ricotta cheese
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups icing sugar
Pinch salt

Prep and Cook

1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line an 8” square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly grease and butter.
2

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3

In a second large mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar and melted butter until combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add the applesauce and vanilla, and stir until well combined.
4

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 batches, stirring until just barely combined after each addition.
Fold in the diced apples.
5

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out into an even layer.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a moist crumb.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment paper and set down on a wire rack to cool off completely.
6

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the ricotta and butter.
Sift in the icing sugar, a few spoonfuls at a time, beating as you go.
Once all of the icing sugar has been incorporated, continue beating for another minute or two, or until smooth and spreadable.
7

Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake.
Sprinkle with a little ground nutmeg before serving, if desired.