Are We Walking to Alaska

Are We Walking to Alaska
Are We Walking to Alaska - A True Story

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Baking A Fresh Apple Cake

A  friend in Brawley, CA used to make this cake for us all the time.  I think she thought our kids needed cake - with three teenagars I could use all the cake help I could get.

One day she gave me a cake - and the recipe.  I've been making it ever since.  When she became ill and unable to bake anymore I would take her a big piece of apple cake.

When I was growing up I always had applesauce cake for my birthday - but when I received this recipe, I changed over from Applesauce Cake to Alice's Fresh Apple Cake.



First you have to grow some apples

What? You don't have time to grow the apples?  

Well come on out to Bellwood Acres - we have apples

While you are here you might want to pick up some pretty flowers


How about a big big sunflower?

Or a towering bush of sunflowers?

Oh  right - apples - you came for apples for that cake

We do have apples

There you go - your wooden basket is full of wonderful apples


Gather your ingredients

Chop the apples and the pecans.  Did you grow those pecans yourself?  Or  did you grow them at Costco?  I thought so.


Fresh Apple Cake



2 eggs

1 c  (200 g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 g)  white sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla

1 c ( 240 mL) oil

2 c (250 g) flour

1 tsp (6 g)  baking soda

2 tsp (5 g) cinnamon

1 ½ c (175 g) chopped pecans or walnuts

4  cups (440 g)  finely chopped apples (3 large apples or 4 medium)



I use my mini cuisinart chopper for the nuts and the apples – I chop the apples to about the size of cole slaw (the chopped kind, not the kind with long pieces)



Combine sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla. Add all dry ingredients, mix well. The dough will be a little stiff. Add chopped nuts and apples (sometimes I add five cups of apples, just because that is how I like it).



Grease a 9x13 pan  – pour in cake batter and smooth out. Bake for 45 min to an hour at 350 – depending on your oven. I start checking at 40 minutes and usually it is done at 50 minutes. Be careful not to bake too long – it does get dry if you do. I poke a thin bladed sharp knife into the cake – if it comes out almost clean, it is done enough.



Some people put cream cheese frosting on the cake – but I prefer mine just plain, with a cup of White Tea – just the thing for a rainy winter day, or a warm summer day, or spring and fall – apple cake is perfect any time.


And there you have it - a big, moist apple cake.  
Not me, no, I didn't eat any  - it was the bears

Don't forget an apple plate to eat your cake 

And a nice sign - I painted this one year because I lived where no apples grew and I was lonely for apples.

What is your favorite apple cake?



12 comments:

joanne said...

just bought a big box of apples this weekend, I see this cake in my future!

greenthumb said...

Sounds really nice, Im now going to look up apple saucecake.

Julie Fukuda said...

Applesauce cake with walnuts and raisins is my favorite birthday cake request.

Em Parkinson said...

I've just copied and pasted that recipe and will be making it in the weeks. YUM!

Pondside said...

I have that very recipe - I just went and checked. It was given to me in 1975, when we lived in Pennsylvania and the woman who gave it to me called it Ozark Apple Cake. It is always a hit when I make it - everyone wants the recipe!

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, that looks so delicious! I wish we had orchards around here, I think we're too far south ;-)

Lynn said...

I've always liked and made the Applesauce Cake but this looks interesting and I'd like to see the difference between the two..we are surrounded by kilometres of apple orchards :-).

The Weaver of Grass said...

Dare I tell you JoAnn that I have never had an apple cake? I might well make this as we have so many fallen apples after today's gale force wind. Can you give me a rough idea of how a 'cup' of something (flour?) translates into grams or kilos please.

Jeanne said...

I'll be visiting the orchards this weekend so we may be looking at apple cake sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Judy D in WA said...

What a fun, fun post! LOVE that apple basket!!!
Can't wait to make the cake.

Shane Pollard said...

Thank you JoAnn for your Apple cake recipe - looks delicious!
I've just come from Rowan and Granny Sue's blogs where they both mentioned your cake.
Wonderful seasonal food - it's the best way to eat!
Thank you - I'm turning the oven on now and if I remember I'll take a photo and let you know if I post it!
I made a wonderful Quiche Lorraine for supper last night - a special recipe with Gruyere cheese!
I fully intended putting up a post about it - but I forgot to do a pic.
Never there's 2 pieces left over so I'll take a photo of that! LOL
FMS (fading memory syndrome) in this house!
Shane

Shane Pollard said...

Me again - oh dear - that was meant to read "Never mind there's 2 pieces left.....
sorry!