My Family's Favorite Fresh Apple Cake

This is a Fivekiller family-favorite fresh apple coffee cake. I got this recipe from my mother's handwritten recipes while cleaning out the old homestead in Cherokee, North Carolina. Our family wants it for dessert at all family gatherings. Store in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• 3 cups thinly sliced apples
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 0.25 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan and spread apples evenly over the bottom.
2. Beat eggs with a mixer until thick and light. Mix in sugar and oil.
3. Stir flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl; add to the egg mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in walnuts, raisins, and vanilla extract; batter will be very thick. Spread batter over the apples in the pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool, about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in melted butter. Add confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice; mix until well combined. Spread frosting over the cooled cake.