Moist apple cake is delicately flavoured with the spice cardamom

Cardamom is a popular spice used in Scandinavian baking and is a delicate enhancement to the flavour of the apples.

Scandinavian Apple Cake

125 ml ( 1/2 cup) butter, softened

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar

2 eggs

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla

500 ml (2 cups) all-purpose flour

10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder

7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) ground cardamom

2 ml ( 1/2 tsp) ground cinnamon

2 ml ( 1/2 tsp) salt

50 ml ( 1/4 cup) 2 per cent milk

500 ml (2 cups) chopped, peeled apples (such as Empire, Golden Delicious, Royal Gala, Jona Gold or Idared)

150 ml (2/3 cup) chopped walnuts or pecans

Icing sugar (optional)

In a large bowl and using electric mixer, beat butter with sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon and salt; beat slowly into butter mixture, alternately with milk, until well combined. Stir in apples and walnuts.

Spread in a 2.5-l (9-inch) square cake pan. Bake in a 180 C (350 F) oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack.

To serve, cut into squares. If desired, serve with a little icing sugar dusted on top using small sieve.

Makes 9 servings.

Nutritional information per serving: 412 calories, 60 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 6 g protein.

Source: Foodland Ontario.