Applelicious Cake

There are apples galore in this cake: grated apples, sliced apples and dried apples. And apple butter to add some great extra flavor.

2 medium baking apples, Honeycrisp or Gala

⅓ cup butter, melted

1⅔  cups packed dark brown sugar

1 cup apple butter (recommended; Kime’s Sugar Free Apple Butter)

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1⅔  cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 cup finely chopped dried apples

1 recipe Maple Icing, below

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2-inch pan; set aside. Peel, core, and coarsely shred one apple using a box grater; thinly slice remaining apple.  Cover; set aside.  

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, apple butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to combine. Fold in dried and fresh shredded apple. Spread batter into prepared pan. Arrange apples slices over batter.

Bake 40 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack.  Pour Maple Icing over hot cake; spread evenly.  Dust with cinnamon and sugar.

Maple icing:

In a small bowl stir together ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp milk and ¼ tsp vanilla until smooth.