Description
A rich, aromatic Polish-style gingerbread cake layered with spiced apples, cream cheese frosting, and crunchy candied walnuts—perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg white
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (for candied topping)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (20 oz) can apple pie filling
Instructions
- Melt 1/4 cup butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped apples and cook until tender; set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Beat 3/4 cup softened butter, honey, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, ginger, and salt.
- Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture, alternating with milk. Fold in walnuts and cooled cooked apples.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack; keep oven on.
- Prepare candied walnuts: whip egg white until foamy, stir in cinnamon, brown sugar, and walnuts. Spread on a baking sheet and bake ~10 minutes until toasted. Cool completely.
- Make frosting: beat softened butter, confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth.
- Assemble: place first cake layer on a plate, spread with a thin layer of frosting, then most of the apple pie filling. Top with second layer (bottom side up). Frost top and sides.
- Spoon remaining apple pie filling on top and garnish with candied walnuts.
Notes
Add raisins or dried cranberries for extra texture.
Replace some milk with apple cider for deeper apple flavor.
Increase ginger for stronger spice.
Drizzle caramel sauce over the top for extra richness.
Cake freezes well without toppings.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Polish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 48g
- Sodium: 360mg
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 72g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
