Ingredients
• Maida/ all purpose flour - 2 cups
• 2 Apples with water squeezed out a bit – Peeled and grated
• Baking powder - 2 tsp
• Soda - 2 tsp
• Butter - ½ cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Milk/milkmaid - 6 tsp
• A pinch of salt
• Vanilla/rose essence - ½ tsp
• Green colour - ½ tsp
• Kismis/dried raisins - 2 tsp

For Butter Cream Icing
• Butter - 1/3 cup
• Salt - ¼ tsp
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Sifted confectioners sugar. - 3 ½ cup
• Milk/ light cream - 3-4 tsp
• Green colour- ¼-1/2 tsp

Preparation
1. Mix and sieve flour, baking powder, salt and soda.
2. Beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes till light and fluffy.
3. Mix in Milk. Beat till well incorporated.
4. Add apples, raisins, essence and colour. Beat for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry powders and beat for 2-3 minutes.
6. Grease 6 or 8 inch round baking dish with butter and sprinkle with flour. Shake off excess flour.
7. Pour the batter and bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes.
8. Decorate with light green and dark green butter cream icing giving the sides and borders the shape of leaves with icing tip 326.
9. Decorate the top with peanuts shaped as japa mala.

For Butter Cream Icing
Preparation
1. Cream butter, salt and vanilla essence in an electric mixer.
2. Add sugar gradually.
3. Add milk and beat till smooth.
4. Add more milk till desired spreading consistency.
5. Add desired colour.

The Japa Mala was made with shelled unsalted peanuts and yellow buttercream icing was used to make the ends of the strings and brown icing was used in between the peanuts.

Yields approx 2 1/3 cup frosting for 1 doz cup cakes or an 8 inch 2 layer cake

By Bhaktin Meena