×
Donal Skehan
Spiced Apple & Rye Traybake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting | DonalSkehan.com
  • recipes

Spiced Apple & Rye Traybake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

December 18

This traybake is all about balance: sweet, sharp apples folded through a lightly spiced sponge, with rye flour adding depth and a gentle earthiness. Maple syrup brings a warm, rounded sweetness that pairs beautifully with the tangy cream cheese frosting, while toasted pecans add just the right crunch. It’s a comforting, unfussy bake and perfect for slicing up and sharing with a good cup of tea.

  • serves Serves 12
  • time 1 hour

Method

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/160˚C fan and grease and line a 30 x 23cm (12 x 9in) baking tin.
  2. 2. Peel the apples then core and roughly chop three quarters of them into rough 1cm pieces. Thinly slice the rest of the apples, these will be used to decorate the top layer of your cake. Toss the apples gently with the lemon juice to stop them browning then set aside.
  3. 3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars, beating with an electric hand whisk for 3 - 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
  4. 4. Crack the eggs into a jug and beat with a fork then add the maple syrup and mix again briefly. Place the self raising and rye flours, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice, cardamom and salt into a separate bowl and mix together to combine.
  5. 5. Add ⅓ of the egg mixture to the creamed butter and sugar and whisk to combine then add ⅓ of the flour mix and mix again. Repeat until you have used up all of the ingredients. Stir through the roughly chopped apples then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface slightly with the back of a spoon. Arrange the sliced apples on top, pressing them gently into the mixture.
  6. 6. Bake for 40 minutes, until the cake is golden and the apples are soft.
  7. 7. Cool the cake for a few minutes in the tin then remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
  8. 8. To make the icing, beat the cream cheese and butter together with an electric hand whisk until smooth and fluffy which should take about 5 minutes then add the maple syrup, vanilla and a pinch of salt and mix again to combine.
  9. 9. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating after each addition until the icing is smooth and creamy.
  10. 10. Spread the icing all over the top of the cooled cake, creating swirls using the back of a spoon then scatter with the toasted pecans, and finally add a pinch of extra cinnamon.
  11. 11. Cut into squares and serve with big cups of tea!

Ingredients

4 cups peeled, chopped cooking apples (about 1.1 lb / Granny Smith works well)

Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

4 large eggs

¼ cup maple syrup

1⅔ cups self-rising flour

1 cup rye flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon salt

Icing

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

⅓ cup cream cheese (about 3 oz), softened

¼ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1¾ cups powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

⅔ cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

500g cooking apples

juice of ½ lemon

225g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

125g light brown sugar

100g dark brown sugar

4 eggs

50ml maple syrup

200g self raising flour

120g rye flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to dust

1 tsp mixed spice

½ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp salt

For the icing:

125g unsalted butter, softened

75g cream cheese

50ml maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

225g icing sugar

Pinch of salt

75g pecans, toasted and roughly chopped