RAW APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Note: For enough nuts for the cake and to sprinkle on the cream cheese frosting, measure a generous 2 cups of nuts into a large baking pan.
• Toast at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, checking every couple of minutes after 5 and shaking the nuts around.
• When walnuts are cool, chop a scant 1/2 cup finely for the frosting and coarsely chop the remaining nuts for the cake.
• If oven is not preheated from toasting nuts, preheat oven to 350.
• Grease and flour a 9 by 13 inch cake pan.
• Combine apples and sugar in one bowl.
• Let sit for 20 minutes so apples get juicy.
• This is not a crucial step, but it does add to the cake's wonderful chewy texture.
• Combine eggs and oil and mix well.
• Combine rest of ingredients by hand, then add the egg and oil mixture and mix well.
• Add the apple mixture.
• The mixture will be very thick.
• Pour and press into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven when only moist crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted in center.
• This is a moist cake--don't overbake.
• Allow to cool on rack.
• When cake is cool, frost with cream cheese frosting, and sprinkle with the finely chopped nuts.
• To prepare frosting: Allow cream cheese and butter to soften a room temperature.
• Beat with a mixer until well blended.
• Slowly beat in powdered sugar until smooth.
• Add vanilla and mix well.
• Adjust to spreadable consistency with milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• The cake stands well on its own; however a sifting of powdered sugar looks nice if you don't care for naked cake.
• Unfrosted cake is good with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• If not frosted with cream cheese frosting, which requires refrigeration, cake keeps well at room temperature for a weekend.