By Emma Chow

A month ago I asked my four year old what sort of cake he would like for his 5 year old birthday which is this week. He gave this a good long think and drew me several diagrams of multilayered, multi-coloured cakes. I think he was hoping that I was feeling ambitious as last year, when I attempted one of those rainbow layer cakes with pale blue icing that resembled the sky and white cream piped into fluffy white clouds. The thing took six hours of my life and sleep that I will never get back.

I hinted that something simpler (and less horrifically sugary) might be in order this year. He said ‘can you make a raspberry cake with apple icing?’ I suggested that something the other way round might be more likely. He agreed.

This recipe is based on a carrot cake recipe I wrote for his first birthday when my maternal child health nurse suggested that a healthy cake would be the best option for baby’s first ever taste of cake. Lucky for me, my boys love fruit, often more than sweets. I’ve known Mister-soon-to-be-five to turn down a home-made brownie or cookie in favour of a bowl of chopped fruit for afternoon tea, much to my horror.

This cake serves 8-10 people.

Ingredients: Cake

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup rice bran oil

2 eggs

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups grated apple, with the juice squeezed out

Ingredients: Frosting

400grams of cream cheese, softened

½ cup icing sugar

50 grams soft butter

1 cup frozen raspberries, defrosted

Zest of one lemon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celcius.
2. Grease and line with baking paper 2 circular spring-form baking tins about 20cm in diameter and at least 4cm deep.
3. Whisk sugar and oil together in a large bowl under sugar dissolves and they form a smooth paste
4. Gradually add one egg at a time to the sugar and oil mixture and whisk till incorporated.
5. Fold in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, folding gently and ensuring there are no hidden lumps.
6. Fold through grated apple
7. Pour half of the cake mix into each prepared baking tin
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until the centre of the cake springs back when pressed and the golden in colour. Allow the cake to cool before removing from the tin.
9. For the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar until fully combined.
10. Add the lemon zest and raspberries and whisk through to combine.
11. Fill and top the cake with frosting when it has cooled.