Apple & Olive Oil Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Icing - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the cake
3 ounces sultanas (80g) (optional) or 3 ounces raisins (80g) (optional)
4 tablespoons water
2 cups plain flour (280g)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup olive oil (120ml)
3/4 cup caster sugar (160g)
1/2 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 small bramley apples (about 360 g) or 4 small granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1 cm or 1/2 inch cubes (about 360 g)
1 grated lemon, zest of
2 egg whites
Icing
100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
100 g light muscavado sugar
85 ml maple syrup or 85 ml golden syrup
220 g cream cheese, at room temperature

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325 F (170 C). Grease an 8-inch (20cm) springform pan, then line the bottom and sides of it with baking parchment. If using, put the sultana raisins and the water in a saucepan and simmer on low heat until the water has been absorbed completely. Set aside to cool.
Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl.
Put the oil and sugar in a bowl. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the bowl (or add extract). Whisk the oil, sugar and vanilla together (you could do this with an electric mixer with a paddle attachment). Gradually add the eggs to the mixture and mix until smooth and thick. Mix in the diced apples, sultanas and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients, folding in gently (you can do this all at once).
In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until they have a soft meringue consistency. Gently fold them into the batter, in 2 additions.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the surface. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. When completely cooled, remove the cake from the tin and cut in half horizontally using a large serrated knife to form 2 discs.
To make the icing, beat together the butter and maple syrup and sugar until light and airy. Next add in the cream cheese and beat until it's totally smooth (preferably with the whisk attachment). Use half of the icing to the sandwich the cakes together, and smooth the remaining frosting up on top.