The devil makes work for idle hands ...

Yesterday I was bored, no other word for it. So I decided to bake- its a bad look for me when I have nothing better to do on a Saturday. I end up getting up late, sitting around in my pj's with the cats and watching really bad TV for far too long. Before I realise it, the day has gone by and I've achieved nothing except drank lots of tea, looked at lots of nonsense on the internet and hugged the cats. This vicious cycle has to stop
So I baked, at least that way I'm achieving something. Apple cake with maple syrup icing. It's a comforting cake with soft fruit that isn't just another fruit cake. The outside is ever so slightly crunch while the inside is soft and fluffy.

Apple Cake with Maple Syrup Icing
(taken from the Ottolenghi cookbook)

Ingredients
Cake
80g sultanas
4 tbsp water
280g plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking power
1 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
120ml olive oil
160g Caster sugar
Vanilla pod
2 eggs
3 bramley apples
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 egg whites

Icing
100g butter (room temp)
100g light brown sugar
85ml maple syrup
220g cream cheese

Directions
Grease 2 8inch tins and line with greaseproof paper.
Put the sultanas and water in a small pan and simmer over a low heat until the water has been absorbed by the sultanas. Put aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 170C. Sift together all the dry ingredients except the sugar. In a separate bowl, beat the oil, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy then gradually add the eggs. Mix in the fruit and lemon zest then fold in the dry ingredients.
Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold them into the batter in 2 additions, trying to loose as little air as possible
Split the batter evenly between the two tins and smooth them out with a palette knife before sliding into the oven for about an hour (or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
To make the icing, beat together to butter, sugar and maple syrup until light and airy. Add the cream cheese and best until smooth.
Assemble the cake when completely cold.