Spiced Apple Cake with Oat Streusel

There's one thing that cold snowy days possess me to do and that is to bake. I turn the fireplace on, brew some coffee and spend time with my cinnamon red KitchenAid, that my husband so lovingly asked me to by for myself. Seriously. He told me I needed to do that! I argued at first because, since having children, I have forgotten how to actually spend money on myself. But I quickly came to my senses, channelled my younger self, and took the plunge. It's my baking friend and makes me smile :) Oh yes, back to gifting you all with one of the best creations that has ever been spatulaed out of my friend!

This spiced apple cake was a sweet surprise to our snowy Friday afternoon. It's soft and spicy with chunks of apple througout. The oat streusel tops it will crunchy sweetness and leaves a smile on your face and a giggle in your belly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

1 stick of softened butter

1 cup of packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups of unsweetened applesauce

2 cups of unbleached flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 apples diced (I left the skins on)

For the topping:
1 cup instant oats
1/2  cup brown sugar
1/4 cup of Olive Oil (or melted butter)

Mix the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and applecause until very smooth. Add in (without stirring yet) the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. With the mixer on low, gently mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Fold in apples. Use your hand to mix the streusal ingredients together. Top with the oat streusel. Bake in a 9x9 pan for 45 minutes and then cover with foil. Bake for another 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

*I covered my cake with foil because my topping was browning more than I wanted*